A former congressman will no longer seek an open U.S. Senate seat in North Carolina next year now that fellow Democrat Roy Cooper is running for the post.Tuesday's announcement by ex-U.S. Rep. Wiley Nickel came the day after Cooper,

North Carolina's Democratic Governor Josh Stein had vetoed a porn exploitation bill that tacked on trans-exclusionary language and another measure that allows local law enforcement to work with ICE.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker says he is impressed with the way North Carolina Democrats have focused on rural communities, but in Illinois, more than 30 counties in rural areas have voted to split or separate from the state.

Whatley previously met with National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Tim Scott about a potential Senate run in North Carolina, and the NRSC had been floating Whatley as a possible replacement for Tillis since January, according to a GOP operative. Tillis did not announce his plans to not seek re-election until months later.