Politics
Whatley has no TV ads booked as North Carolina Senate race nears Election Day
Republican Michael Whatley’s campaign has no future broadcast TV reservations in North Carolina, while Democratic nominee Roy Cooper and allied groups have $18.6 million booked. Whatley’s campaign calls the pause temporary as Republican groups reduce spending in a race Democrats hope to flip.
Republican U.S. Senate nominee Michael Whatley’s campaign had no future broadcast television ads booked in North Carolina as of Oct. 14, an unusual pause with less than three weeks before Election Day in a race that had been a major GOP target.
Whatley’s most recent broadcast ad aired about a week earlier, according to ad-tracking firm AdImpact. His spokesperson, DJ Griffin, said the campaign’s pause was temporary and that it planned to return to television with a closing message. Griffin also said the campaign had the resources to win.
The gap in reservations comes as Republican groups scale back spending in the state, where former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper has led Whatley in public polling and fundraising. Cooper is seeking to flip a Senate seat Democrats need as they pursue control of the chamber.
Cooper’s campaign had reserved $7.4 million in future TV advertising, with another $11.2 million reserved by outside groups aligned with Democrats. Republican outside groups had $4.7 million in reservations, according to an analysis of AdImpact data — leaving Democrats with nearly four times as much booked spending.
The Senate Leadership Fund, a major Republican outside group, paused its North Carolina spending earlier this month. Other GOP groups, including Old North Action, have also pulled back. The Democratic-aligned Senate Majority PAC has begun pausing some of its spending as it redirects resources to other competitive Senate contests.
Doug Heye, a North Carolina-born Republican strategist, said the state had always been a difficult race for Republicans, citing President Donald Trump’s weak standing and Cooper’s record of winning statewide. Whatley is a former Republican National Committee chair and a Trump-backed nominee.
Whatley’s campaign has also raised questions about Cooper’s health. Griffin said the planned ad might ask why Cooper would not answer basic questions about his health and ability to serve. Cooper spokesperson Kate Smart rejected the claim, saying Cooper had held more than 350 campaign events and was in excellent health. She said he would serve a full Senate term.
Candidates typically increase advertising as voting approaches, making Whatley’s lack of booked TV time notable. The spending pullback signals how Republican groups are reassessing a race once viewed as a top opportunity, while Democratic groups weigh whether to keep investing or shift money to other contests.