Former North Carolina Rep. Wiley Nickel dropped his Senate campaign Tuesday, one day after former Gov. Roy Cooper entered the race.

Former Democratic Rep. Wiley Nickel on Tuesday pulled out of the race to replace outgoing Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) after former Gov. Roy Cooper announced plans to seek the Democratic nomination for North Carolina’s highly competitive open Senate seat.

Former Rep. Wiley Nickel (D-N.C.) is ending his campaign for North Carolina’s Senate seat and endorsing former Gov. Roy Cooper (D), a day after Cooper launched his much-anticipated bid. Nickel said in a statement Tuesday on the social platform X that working alongside Cooper while he served in the state Senate and in Congress