Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) has a 9-point lead over his challenger, ex-Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley, in the North Carolina Senate race, according to a new poll. 

Fox News found that 53 percent of voters in the Tar Heel State prefer Cooper over Whatley as the race to replace incumbent Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) kicks into full gear. 

Forty-four percent of respondents said they would cast their ballot for Whatley, per the poll. 

All eyes are on the battleground state as Republicans look to maintain their majority in the Senate with strong support from President Trump. 

The president waded into Whatley's campaign in North Carolina early on, endorsing the Republican nominee last July and inviting him to speak at a December rally in Rocky Mount, N.C. 

However, Trump's support for Whatley has repelled some voters, with 48 percent saying his relationship with the president is concerning. 

Fifty percent of voters say Whatley's ties to the White House don't raise concerns. 

Comparatively, 42 percent of voters worry about Cooper's connection to the Democratic establishment, while 56 percent do not. 

Months ahead of the election, Whatley and Cooper are igniting the campaign trail with support from super PACs and large-scale digital ad buys. 

The Republican-linked Super Leadership Fund just launched a $17 million ad campaign hammering Cooper over his decisions as governor and painting him as soft on crime.

Similarly, the Democratic-aligned WinSenate PAC recently announced a $2.26 million ad buy, criticizing Whatley for hiring a convicted child sex offender during his time as chair of the North Carolina Republican Party. 

The poll was conducted from July 23-27 among 1,005 registered voters. Beacon Research and Shaw & Company Research, both conservative organizations, directed the poll, which had a margin of error of 3 percentage points.

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