GOP Super PAC Pulls $6.5 Million in NC Senate Ads as Whatley Trails Cooper
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 25
GOP Super PAC Pulls $6.5 Million in NC Senate Ads as Whatley Trails Cooper
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 25
Summary
Old North Action canceled $6.5 million in North Carolina TV ad reservations after Republican Michael Whatley failed to cut Democrat Roy Cooper’s polling lead with six weeks left.
Polls and party anxiety are driving the move: Whatley has tied himself closely to President Donald Trump even as Trump’s approval slumps and voters remain focused on living costs, not crime, his main campaign message.
Republicans still hold an overall spending edge in the race, and Whatley retains backing from Trump’s super PAC, but strategists are openly weighing whether to shift resources from a seat now seen as the likeliest Senate flip.
North Carolina’s history keeps both sides cautious — Democrats have not won a Senate seat there in 18 years, and late-deciding voters have often broken Republican in statewide races.