2026 ELECTION / SNAPSHOT CHECKED OCTOBER 22

The races close to home.

Poll movement, prediction markets and local race analysis for Carteret County voters.

POLL TREND / U.S. SENATE

Cooper–Whatley

Cooper +13 · up 2 points

Elon/YouGov, likely voters: Aug. 21–31 (n=565, ±5.6 pts) and Sept. 29–Oct. 8 (n=561, ±4.9 pts). Other candidates and undecided voters omitted. The 2-point margin change may reflect sampling variation.

Explore Senate & NC-01 projections ↗

Roy Cooper
Official photo, 2019

Michael Whatley
Gage Skidmore, 2024 / CC BY-SA 2.0

MARKET TREND / U.S. HOUSE · NC-01

Davis–Buckhout

Republican 27¢ · down 23¢

Kalshi via FTP Elections Intelligence: 58 dated readings, July 31–Oct. 22. Checked Oct. 22 at 8:25 a.m. ET. Democrat 73¢; Republican 27¢. Party-control contracts, not candidate vote shares; prices are yes asks.

View NC-01 market & history ↗

Don Davis
Official House portrait, 2022

Laurie Buckhout
Official portrait, 2025

CARTERET COUNTY SHERIFF / NOVEMBER 3, 2026

Nyberg–Rice

Two candidates for the county’s top law-enforcement office. Compare their backgrounds, examine the evidence and hear them together.

REPUBLICAN / APPOINTED INCUMBENT

John Nyberg

Appointed sheriff in June 2026 after Asa Buck’s retirement. His official biography describes more than 35 years in law enforcement and public safety, including the N.C. State Highway Patrol.

His stated focus includes supporting agency staff, continuity of service, accessibility and accountability.

Read Nyberg’s official biography ↗

John Nyberg
County official photo; capture date not supplied

UNAFFILIATED / CHALLENGER

Franklin Rice

Rice’s campaign biography describes more than two decades in local law enforcement, with patrol, K-9, school resource, investigations and supervisory experience.

His platform proposes Down East and western county substations, deputy retention measures, crisis-response partnerships and an expandable new jail.

Read Rice’s campaign platform ↗

Franklin Rice
Campaign photo; capture date not supplied

THE ANALYSIS / OCTOBER 14, 2026

Lean Nyberg

The linked Muse analysis weighs the county’s Republican lean, Nyberg’s incumbency and party backing against Rice’s grassroots and crossover potential. Its 52.5–47.5 split is a judgment-based illustration, not a scientific poll or win probability.

Explore the full analysis & assumptions ↗

ONE GROUP’S SIGNAL / REPORTED IN OCT. 14 ANALYSIS

Rice 45 · Nyberg 42

The same analysis reports a 45–42 Rice win among Carteret Conservative Tea Party Patriots participants. These 87 self-selected voters do not represent the county electorate; this result cannot establish a countywide lead or trend.

Review the straw-poll source & limits ↗

WHAT TO COMPARE

Public safety. Public dollars.

Compare the candidates’ plans for jail capacity and operating costs, recruiting and retaining deputies, drug enforcement, and responses to mental-health crises.

Watch both candidates: Oct. 8 forum ↗

PLAN YOUR VOTE

Oct. 31 / Nov. 3

Early voting ends Saturday, October 31 at 3 p.m. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3. Check the county’s schedule for locations and daily hours.

Early-voting sites & hours ↗ Find your sample ballot ↗

Candidate names and ballot labels: NCSBE candidate list, Oct. 13, p. 70. Biographies and voting schedule checked Oct. 22, 2026. Candidate priorities are attributed to their linked sources. Analysis and advisory-poll figures retain the Oct. 14 snapshot date.

How to read this: polls measure reported voting intention; market prices reflect trading; Muse projections depend on stated assumptions. These are dated snapshots, not election results or a live feed. Open the linked models to adjust assumptions and review their sources.