National Democrats on Wednesday announced plans to pour millions more into planting former Gov. Roy Cooper in the upper chamber and flipping North Carolina’s Senate seat blue.
The Senate Majority PAC is injecting $11 million into Cooper’s bid against Republican Senate candidate Michael Whatley, as polls indicate the GOP contender is gaining ground. The development brings the total funding that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) political action committee has poured into the race to over $42 million, according to WRAL, and is expected to be spent on television and digital ads.
“Michael Whatley is rubber-stamping his party’s agenda, which has left North Carolinians footing the bill for higher gas prices, grocery store costs, and Medicaid cuts that are already hitting families across the state,” Senate Majority PAC spokesperson Lauren French said. “While Michael Whatley continues to be a yes-man for the Washington establishment, Roy Cooper is offering real change for North Carolinians fed up with business as usual.”
Democrats’ move to boost financial support for Cooper comes as the latest polling appears to indicate he could be losing ground to Whatley. Polling in May and June handed the Democratic candidate 11- and 14-point leads.
A survey published by Public Policy Polling earlier this month suggested Whatley is gaining steam, giving Cooper only a 4-point lead with three full months left before voters cast their ballots.
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The battleground race is viewed as one of the most closely watched in the country. Both candidates are vying to succeed Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) after the Republican incumbent revealed plans last June to retire following deepening disagreements with President Donald Trump.
Besides Cooper’s candidacy, national Democrats on Wednesday also poured funding into several other tight Senate races the party is battling to flip blue. In Ohio, Senate Majority PAC allocated an additional $24 million in funding for TV ads toward former Sen. Sherrod Brown’s race against Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH), bringing its total reservation to $60 million, according to Axios. In Alaska, Democrats poured $2 million more behind former Rep. Mary Peltola, bringing the cycle total to $11 million, as they seek to oust Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK).