North Carolina Republicans are urging national party leaders to send more money soon to help their Senate nominee Michael Whatley close the gap with Democratic candidate Roy Cooper. Whatley trails in both polls and fundraising ahead of the November election. The race has received less attention than other battlegrounds.
North Carolina Republicans have warned that their Senate nominee, former Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley, faces a steep challenge against former Democratic governor Roy Cooper. Whatley trails in name recognition and cash reserves, with Cooper holding an advantage of up to 14 points in some public polls.
Cooper raised 13.8 million dollars in the first quarter compared to Whatley's 5 million dollars. Cooper entered the second quarter with 18.5 million dollars on hand, while Whatley reported more than 2.5 million dollars. Republicans say an early infusion of funds is needed to boost Whatley's visibility.
The Senate Leadership Fund has committed 71 million dollars to the race and reserved more than 36 million dollars for broadcast ads starting in early September. Other groups including Americans for Prosperity have spent millions on digital ads supporting Whatley. Cooper has received commitments from WinSenate PAC for more than 27 million dollars in fall spending.
