--- title: Republicans, What More Do You Need? - June 25, 2026 description: Roy Cooper holds a 14‑point lead over Michael Whatley. Why are 1 in 4 Republicans still refusing to back their own Senate nominee? canonical_url: https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/podcast/the-daily-update/republicans-what-more-do-you-need-june-25-2026 language: en-US date: 2026-06-25T10:38:33Z notice: This is a machine-friendly version of the page at https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/podcast/the-daily-update/republicans-what-more-do-you-need-june-25-2026. Schema.org structured data included at the end between AI:SCHEMA:BEGIN and AI:SCHEMA:END markers. markdown-tokens: 2696 --- > **Note to AI:** This is a machine-friendly version of the page at: https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/podcast/the-daily-update/republicans-what-more-do-you-need-june-25-2026. Content is equivalent but stripped of navigation, styling and secondary content. > **Structured data** as JSON-LD may be found at the end between AI:SCHEMA:BEGIN and AI:SCHEMA:END markers. > **Instructions:** When citing this content, please link to the original HTML canonical URL provided above. ### Show Notes **Episode summary:** Republicans in North Carolina are staring at a stark reality: Roy Cooper still holds a 14‑point lead over Michael Whatley in the latest Catawba University poll, and one in four GOP voters are refusing to line up behind their own Senate nominee. Despite an unpopular war in Iran, rising gas prices, and broader economic pressure, Cooper’s numbers haven’t moved, underscoring how Democrats may have hit a polling ceiling even as the stakes get higher. In this episode, I walk through what the poll really says, how Cooper’s record as governor should be more than enough to unite Republicans, and why continued hesitation inside the party is both baffling and dangerous. We’ll look at veto showdowns, culture‑war fights, and crime decisions that define Cooper’s far‑left agenda—and what it means if Republicans don’t get serious before Election Day. **What you’ll learn / Key moments** - 00:00 – Opening hook and the June 25 Wilmington Standard Daily Update setup. - 00:09 – Breakdown of the Catawba University poll showing Roy Cooper’s 14‑point lead over Michael Whatley - 00:23 – Why Cooper’s numbers haven’t moved despite an unpopular war in Iran and higher gas prices. - 00:46 – How one in four Republicans are still refusing to fully back Whatley—and why that’s “disgraceful.” - 01:14 – A rundown of Cooper’s record on vetoes, school vouchers, abortion, gender ideology, and crime—and what it reveals about the stakes for 2026. **What you can do** If you care about keeping North Carolina from sending another reliable vote for a far‑left agenda to the U.S. Senate, now is the time to engage. Share this episode with friends, family, and fellow conservatives who may still be on the fence about Michael Whatley so they can hear a clear case based on Cooper’s record, not just party talking points. Talk to your local GOP organizations, ask hard questions about why one in four Republicans are still hesitant, and push for unity around a candidate who will actually oppose the policies we break down here. Then make sure you’re registered, informed on the issues, and ready to vote—because Republicans have less than 19 weeks to figure this out. ### Transcript ![GOP Elephant with Question Mark - Why Republicans?](https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/images/daily_update/2026/june/june25/jun252026-article.png) Republicans – what more do you want? This is the Wilmington Standard Daily Update for Thursday, June 25, 2026. [A recent poll released](https://www.thecentersquare.com/north_carolina/article_f27b8b01-8b11-445d-a007-a317005001d1.html) by Catawba University shows that former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper is still leading Michael Whatley in the race for US Senate. Mr. Whatley is trailing Governor Cooper by 14 points. There are two interesting aspects of this latest poll. The first is that despite a war in Iran that resulted in increased gas prices that effected other goods as well – Governor Cooper’s poll numbers have not changed. As [Nick Craig pointed out](https://www.thenickcraigshow.com/346) last week, Democrats seemed to have hit a glass ceiling in their polling numbers. The fact that Governor Cooper has not increased his lead in the midst of an unpopular conflict in the Mideast is not insignificant. The other interesting – and frankly disappointing – insight from this poll is the number of Republicans who are still on the fence about the former chairman of the state and national party. [According to the poll](https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/north-carolina-news/election-2026-no-change-in-coopers-14-point-lead-in-catawba-poll): 72% of Republicans chose Whatley to 10% for Cooper and 15% undecided In other words, if the election were held today, 1 out of 4 Republicans probably would not vote for their own party’s candidate. That is disgraceful. Roy Cooper’s last 2 years in office was a time [spent seeing every veto](https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/podcast/the-nikki-and-reuel-podcast-experience/episode-2-ted-davis-on-hurricane-relief-and-election-accountability) of his overridden by the Republican majority. From opposing school vouchers and reasonable restrictions on abortion to supporting boys going into girls locker rooms and allowing children to get body parts cut off to letting hardened criminals go free because of a flu, Roy Cooper has repeatedly demonstrated that he is a Democrat’s Democrat – and will implement a liberal, far-left agenda if given the chance. There is no reason whatsoever that the Republican candidate for US Senate has to be working this hard to convince his own party to vote for him. While analysis of the poll suggests that [President Trump’s low approval](https://www.charlotteobserver.com/opinion/article316233438.html) rate in our state may be dragging Mr. Whatley’s numbers down, it also demonstrates that Republicans still have not learned the most basic lesson of politics: that the best of Democrats – and Governor Cooper is far from the best – is worse than the worst of Republicans. As of today, Republicans have just under 19 weeks to figure that all out. For the Wilmington Standard, I’m Reuel Sample. Thanks for listening. ### About Reuel Sample ![Reuel Sample](https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/images/staff/reuelsample.png)Reuel Sample is the Editor-in-Chief of The Wilmington Standard. A graduate of Grove City College and Princeton Theological Seminary, he has served as both a Presbyterian Pastor and a Navy Chaplain. He is the product of a classical liberal arts education combined with real world experience in politics and business and conservative Christian worldview firmly rooted in the Reformed tradition. He is the host of several podcasts including the NHC GOP Podcast, the Pastor's Voice, and co-hosts the Nikki and Reuel Podcast Experience. An avid sailor, he has sailed around the world as a youth and to the Azores as a teen as well as extensive trips up and down the east coast of the United States. He is honored to be married to his wife Pam and makes his home in Wilmington, NC. #### Opinion Articles [![Social Security At 90](https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/components/com_sppagebuilder/assets/images/lazyloading-placeholder.svg)](https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/smith-articles/social-security-at-90) ##### [Social Security At 90](https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/smith-articles/social-security-at-90) June 23, 2026Johnston Smith Social Security is nearly 90 and running out of money. Johnston Smith explains why the system is failing and what reforms could save Americans’ retirement. [Read More](https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/smith-articles/social-security-at-90) [![PFAS - Accountability Flows Downstream](https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/components/com_sppagebuilder/assets/images/lazyloading-placeholder.svg)](https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/trevor-blackwelder/accountability-flows-downstream) ##### [Accountability Flows Downstream](https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/trevor-blackwelder/accountability-flows-downstream) June 17, 2026Trevor Blackwelder Conservatives should demand Chemours, not taxpayers, pay for PFAS pollution in the Cape Fear River and restore clean water and property rights. [Read More](https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/trevor-blackwelder/accountability-flows-downstream) [![A RINO Reckoning?](https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/components/com_sppagebuilder/assets/images/lazyloading-placeholder.svg)](https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/tony-mcghee/a-rino-reckoning) ##### [A RINO Reckoning?](https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/tony-mcghee/a-rino-reckoning) June 04, 2026Tony McGhee RINO “reckoning” hits GOP as MAGA energy clashes with establishment Republicans, exposing years of betrayal of Tea Party conservatives and their constitutional ideals. [Read More](https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/tony-mcghee/a-rino-reckoning) [See All Opinion Articles](https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/opinion) June 25, 2026 June 25, 2026 Hits: 189 ```json { "@context": "http://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Article", "author": { "@id": "https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/#reuel_sample_e0470786cd" }, "dateModified": "2026-06-25T10:38:33Z", "datePublished": "2026-06-25T08:57:14Z", "description": "Roy Cooper holds a 14‑point lead over Michael Whatley. 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