North Carolina’s U.S. Senate race will be nasty and brutal.

It also will be our chance to reject the nasty, brutal politics that Trump has inflicted on America for 10 years.

A spokesman for the state Republican Party sounded like Trump: “We just look forward to welcoming Roy Cooper to the most miserable campaign he’s ever going to have.”

This will be a trying time for Cooper and his family. It takes courage and character to face what is coming: lies, cruelty, crude insults and personal attacks.

But Cooper has a chance to restore decency, honesty and civility to politics.

So do we.