(The Center Square) – Candidates for North Carolina’s U.S. Senate seat this fall continue to play close with national party politics just more than eight weeks before voters start marking ballots.
There’s been virtually no change in polling in the 11 months since Democrat Roy Cooper and Republican Michael Whatley formally announced intent. Cooper has led, maintains a war chest advantage according to the Federal Election Commission, and is trending to be the first from his party to win a midterm for the Senate in nearly three decades.
Last week’s polling results from the New York Times and Siena Research Institute at Siena University gave Cooper a 50%-43% advantage. Respondents, queried June 15-27, disapproved of President Donald Trump 55% and had just 40% approving – a hurdle looming ever greater for Whatley, the hand-picked leader by Trump of the Republican National Committee in his quest to win the 2024 election.
The FEC filing updates are yet to show the second quarter. Through March 31, Cooper’s cash on hand was more than $18.4 million and Whatley $2.5 million.
Whatley most recently has spoken on the economy and disaster recovery from Hurricane Helene while keeping focus on the "America first" platform and the "soft on crime" knock against Cooper. And he’s taken a jab at Cooper as a career politician.
Cooper’s big move under scrutiny this week was hopping in line with a number of name recognizable Democrats – Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Mark Kelly of Arizona, Adam Schiff of California, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Cory Booker of New Jersey and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan – that said Graham Platner should step out of the U.S. Senate race in Maine.
On social media, Cooper wrote, “This goes beyond politics. These are disturbing allegations, and I believe Graham Platner should drop out of the race.”
Platner is running against incumbent Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and on Tuesday was subject of a Politico story accused by a former acquaintance of forcing her to have sex despite her objections.
In today’s climate, all candidates are vetted by their party before running. Yet Platner remained favored by Democrats including Cooper through multiple other situations – a Nazi tattoo, expressing joy of an American soldier shot, website posts linked to pedophiles and grooming of children, and comments about raping home invaders.
Whatley accused Cooper of spending 40 years in politics “getting rich while hardworking North Carolinians footed the bill.”
In a social media post Wednesday afternoon, he wrote in part, “Now he is collecting a government pension. After four decades, he left North Carolina with higher costs and families struggling to make ends meet. While you were paying more, Roy Cooper was paying himself.
“He’s the embodiment of everything Americans hate about career politicians and an embarrassment to North Carolina. He should forgo his pension for all of the economic damage he caused as a career politician.”
Cooper was first elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives in November 1986 and was in office for 38 consecutive years touching five decades. He was in the General Assembly 14 years, attorney general 16 years and governor for eight.
Whatley is attempting to win an elected public office for the first time.
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