Republicans, What More Do You Need?

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.

Republicans – what more do you want?

This is the Wilmington Standard Daily Update for Thursday, June 25, 2026.

A recent poll released 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 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: 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 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 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.