Latest news with #Whatley
The Hill
an hour ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Cooper has early lead over Whatley in North Carolina Senate race, survey shows
Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) has an early lead over Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley in the state's Senate race as the candidates appear poised for a general election matchup. The Emerson College Polling survey, released Friday, shows Cooper leading Whatley by 6 points, 47 percent to 41 percent, with 12 percent undecided. The former governor also starts out with a considerable advantage in name recognition, with 84 percent having a view — either favorable or unfavorable — of him while only a third seemed to have a view of the RNC chief. 'With over a year to go until the North Carolina U.S. Senate race, Whatley's low name recognition presents both a challenge and an opportunity, while only 17% view him favorably, nearly two-thirds of voters either don't know him or are unsure,' Spencer Kimball, the executive director of Emerson College Polling, said in the release. 'That leaves room for his campaign to define him before his opponent does.' Just over half of respondents said they view Cooper favorably while a third view him unfavorably. Meanwhile, Whatley is viewed favorably by 17 percent and unfavorably by 16 percent, putting his net favorability about even, according to the poll. The percentage of voters who aren't familiar with a candidate usually drops as the campaign advances, but its effect on polling of the race and the candidates' favorability is uncertain. Cooper's lead is largely powered by a 19-point advantage among independents, 47 percent to 28 percent, and a 25-point lead among voters under 50, 54 percent to 29 percent. Whatley's advantage comes with voters over 50, ahead 52 percent to 41 percent, the survey shows. The poll comes after both Cooper and Whatley entered the race this week and is one of the first of the potential general election matchup. Both seem to be clear favorites for their nominations with the parties largely coalescing around them, respectively. Cooper first joined the race on Monday after months of speculation and raised $3.4 million in the first 24 hours of his campaign. Democrats see the seat, currently held by retiring Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), as one of their best pickup opportunities in 2026. Whatley launched his candidacy on Thursday already with an endorsement from President Trump, and he quickly received the support of top Senate GOP leaders like Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), the chair of Senate Republicans' campaign arm. The poll was conducted from June 28-30 among 1,000 registered voters. The credibility interval, similar to a margin of error, was 3 percentage points.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
NC Senate Race: Cooper leads Whatley with young, independent voters: Poll
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — The first Emerson College/CBS 17 poll of the 2026 U.S. Senate race in North Carolina gives a six-point edge to former Governor Roy Cooper (D), who launched his campaign Monday. His opponent—Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley—announced his entry into the race Thursday. That came a week after sources close to Whatley confirmed his plans to run on July 24, the same day Laura Trump announced on X that she would not be running. With more than a year to go before ballots are cast, this initial poll offers an early snapshot of where Cooper and Whatley stand with voters. Emerson College Polling surveyed 1,000 North Carolinians from July 28–30. Of those respondents, 359 identified as Republicans, 311 as Democrats, and 329 as independents or other. Candidate Favorability Cooper holds a six-point favorability edge over Whatley among all 1,000 participants in the poll. One factor likely contributing to Cooper's edge is name recognition — a point highlighted by a poll question that asked voters how they view each candidate. The percentage breakdown is below. Kimball explained how Whatley's low name recognition presents 'both a challenge and an opportunity.' While only 17% view him favorably, nearly two-thirds of voters either don't know him or are unsure, polling showed. 'That leaves room for his campaign to define him before his opponent does,' Kimball added. GOP Chair Michael Whatley officially announces run for US Senate in North Carolina In contrast, Cooper enters the race with significantly higher name recognition and a more favorable public image. The gap is much wider among independent voters, who favor Cooper 47% to 28%.Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, also noted a sharp age divide:'Cooper has a 25-point edge on Whatley among voters under 50, 54% to 29%, whereas Whatley leads voters over 50 by 11 points, 52% to 41%,' he said. 'Cooper has a 25-point edge on Whatley among voters under 50, 54% to 29%, whereas Whatley leads voters over 50 by 11 points, 52% to 41%,' Kimball added. 'I love North Carolina': Former Governor Roy Cooper announces run for US Senate seat in 2026 As for retiring Senator Thom Tillis, he currently holds a 30% favorable rating and a 43% unfavorable rating. His retirement appears aligned with weak favorability: just 41% of Republican voters view him favorably, while 35% view him unfavorably. 'He's also underwater with independents, with 43% unfavorable and only 27% favorable,' Kimball noted. More on the Candidates Michael Whatley Whatley led the North Carolina Republican Party for nearly five years before being elected Republican National Committee chairman 17 months ago with Trump's backing. He's hoping to succeed GOP Sen. Thom Tillis, who announced just a month ago that he would not seek a third term after clashing with Trump and voting against the 'Big Beautiful Bill.' In a post on Truth Social last week, President Trump voiced his support for Whatley, giving him his 'complete and total endorsement' and referring to him as 'one of the most capable executives in our country.' The president also wrote, 'I have a mission for my friends in North Carolina, and that is to get Michael Whatley to run for the U.S. Senate.' On Thursday, Whatley used much of his launch speech to target Cooper, accusing him of 'offering North Carolina voters an extreme radical-left ideology — open borders, inflationary spending, and a weak America.' Roy Cooper Cooper brings a powerful record to the race: he has never lost a statewide election. His winning streak began in 1986 when he was elected to represent the 72nd district in the North Carolina House of Representatives. In 1991, he was appointed to the North Carolina Senate, a position he held for 10 years before winning six more statewide elections. Those victories earned him four terms as attorney general, from 2000 to 2016, and two terms as governor, elected in 2016 and re-elected in 2020. The day after Cooper announced his candidacy, former U.S. Rep. Wiley Nickel ended his campaign and threw his full support behind Cooper. The former governor's entry brings optimism to a party aiming to take back the Senate in 2026 with a net gain of four seats — a tall order in a year when many Senate races are in states Trump won easily in 2024. National Republican campaign strategists say Cooper's entry makes North Carolina a more difficult seat for the GOP to hold, though a Democrat hasn't won a Senate race in the traditionally competitive state since 2008, making it one that will be closely watched by the nation. For full results of the Emerson College poll, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Politico
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Politico
Cooper leads first public poll since jumping in North Carolina Senate race
Cooper, who finished his second term in 2024, starts the open race to replace Tillis with stronger name recognition and favorability than Whatley, a first-time candidate. Most voters view Cooper positively, one-third perceive him negatively and just 13 percent are unsure, the poll found. By contrast, nearly two-thirds of voters do not know or are unsure of Whatley and another 17 percent view him favorably — capturing his challenge to quickly define himself with an electorate that isn't familiar with him. Cooper also holds a 19-point edge among independent voters, a significant bloc that supported him during his gubernatorial campaigns. For now, these voters prefer Cooper to Whatley 47 percent to 28 percent. But in a preview of what will be a tight Senate race in a hyper-partisan environment, voters in purple North Carolina are evenly divided on whom they prefer on the generic congressional ballot: 41.5 percent support would back the Democrat and 41.3 percent would back the Republican. In the 2028 presidential primary, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg leads among Democratic voters in North Carolina with 17 percent support. Former Vice President Kamala Harris, who opted against a gubernatorial run this week, receives 12 percent, followed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom with 10 percent and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders with 7 percent. Nearly a quarter of the Democratic voters are undecided. Among Republicans, Vice President JD Vance dominates the GOP primary with 53 percent backing him, compared to 7 percent for Florida Gov. and failed 2024 presidential candidate Ron DeSantis and 5 percent for Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Emerson College conducted the poll from July 28 through July 30, interviewing 1,000 registered North Carolina voters. It has a 3-point margin of error.
6 hours ago
- Politics
Michael Whatley, RNC chairman endorsed by Trump, launches Senate bid in North Carolina
GASTONIA, N.C. -- Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley launched his campaign for North Carolina's open U.S. Senate seat Thursday, equipped with President Donald Trump's endorsement and a large fundraising network for a potential general election bid against formidable Democrat Roy Cooper. A Whatley-Cooper contest is expected to be one of the most competitive and expensive 2026 races. Speaking at an event held at an old textile mill near Charlotte, Whatley pledged his allegiance to the president, who will be a major focus for both sides in a swing state where Trump had one of his smallest margins of victory last year. 'I am proud to stand with him and fight every single day for every family in every community,' Whatley said. 'President Trump deserves an ally and North Carolina deserves a strong conservative voice in the Senate. I will be that voice.' Whatley led the state Republican Party for almost five years before being elected Republican National Committee chairman 17 months ago with Trump's backing. He seeks to succeed GOP Sen. Thom Tillis, who barely a month ago announced that he would not run for a third term after clashing with Trump. Whatley's plan to run became public a week ago, after which Trump said on social media that Whatley would 'make an unbelievable Senator from North Carolina' and that he would have 'my Complete and Total Endorsement." Whatley got in the race after Lara Trump — the president's daughter-in-law, a former RNC co-chair with Whatley and a North Carolina native — passed on her own bid. The Democratic side of the race took shape earlier this week as Cooper, a former two-term governor, announced Monday that he would run. The next day ex-U.S. Rep. Wiley Nickel ended his campaign and endorsed Cooper. Cooper's entry brings optimism to a party aiming to take back the Senate in 2026 with a net gain of four seats — a tall task in a year when many Senate races are in states Trump won easily in 2024. National Republican campaign strategists say that Cooper's entry makes North Carolina a more difficult seat for the party to hold, though a Democrat hasn't won a Senate race in usually competitive North Carolina since 2008. Senate Majority Leader John Thune and National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Tim Scott endorsed Whatley immediately. At least two lesser-known Republican candidates are seeking the GOP nomination. Candidate filing begins in December, with any primaries held in March. But Whatley spent his launch speech targeting Cooper, accusing him of 'offering North Carolina voters an extreme radical-left ideology -- open borders, inflationary spending and a weak America.' 'I believe in a better North Carolina and a stronger America," he added. Trump, who narrowly won North Carolina's electoral votes all three times that he ran for president, also supported Whatley to replace national party chair Ronna McDaniel early last year. Whatley joked in April to an Iowa audience that Trump was so pleased with his work as chair that he offered Whatley any job that he wanted in Trump's administration, as long as he stayed on as chair. But with his campaign bid, Whatley will leave the chairman's post. RNC members are expected to vote on his successor next month in Atlanta. Trump has endorsed Florida state Sen. Joe Gruters, a former Florida Republican Party chairman who is now the RNC's treasurer and was co-chair of Trump's 2016 campaign in Florida. While never elected to government office and without a voting record, Whatley has promoted the president's agenda and led the party apparatus that helped him get elected in 2024. So he'll be asked repeatedly to defend a host of Trump initiatives. Whatley, 56, grew up in the western North Carolina mountains. His first major foray into politics came in high school when he volunteered for the 1984 reelection campaign of U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms. He earned law and theology degrees from the University of Notre Dame. Whatley was on a team of lawyers working on George W. Bush's behalf to dispute the outcome of the 2000 presidential contest. He landed a job in Bush's administration with the Department of Energy, followed by a two-year stint working for then-North Carolina Sen. Elizabeth Dole. He later lobbied for oil and gas companies. Whatley spent time during Thursday's speech highlighting what he considers Trump's many accomplishments, including recent Hurricane Helene recovery efforts in the state and a remake of the Republican Party. But Whatley also will have to defend portions of Trump's new law that includes pulling back on Medicaid, which North Carolina officials say threatens expansion coverage for hundreds of thousands of people. It was Cooper who reached a bipartisan agreement with state Republicans in 2023 to offer Medicaid expansion. Cooper's campaign criticized Whatley as 'a D.C. insider and big oil lobbyist who supports policies that are ripping health care away from North Carolinians and raising costs for middle class families.' In a news release, Cooper campaign manager Jeff Allen added that Cooper has a "record of putting partisanship aside to get results for North Carolina.' At the close of his tenure as state chairman, Whatley highlighted his efforts to encourage early voting and protect 'election integrity,' as well as online fundraising and volunteer training. He cited electoral victories for Republicans on North Carolina's appeals courts and within the General Assembly. But Democrats continued to control the governor's mansion, as Cooper won a second term in 2020.
Winnipeg Free Press
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Michael Whatley, RNC chairman endorsed by Trump, launches Senate bid in North Carolina
GASTONIA, N.C. (AP) — Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley launched his campaign for North Carolina's open U.S. Senate seat Thursday, equipped with President Donald Trump's endorsement and a large fundraising network for a potential general election bid against formidable Democrat Roy Cooper. The contest is expected to be one of the most competitive and expensive 2026 races. Speaking at an event held at an old textile mill near Charlotte, Whatley pledged his allegiance to the president, who will be a major focus for both sides in a swing state where Trump had one of his smallest margins of victory last year. 'I am proud to stand with him and fight every single day for every family in every community,' Whatley said. 'President Trump deserves an ally and North Carolina deserves a strong conservative voice in the Senate. I will be that voice.' Whatley led the state Republican Party for almost five years before being elected Republican National Committee chairman 17 months ago with Trump's backing. He seeks to succeed GOP Sen. Thom Tillis, who barely a month ago announced that he would not run for a third term after clashing with Trump. Whatley's plan to run became public a week ago, after which Trump said on social media that Whatley would 'make an unbelievable Senator from North Carolina' and that he would have 'my Complete and Total Endorsement.' Whatley got in the race after Lara Trump — the president's daughter-in-law, a former RNC co-chair with Whatley and a North Carolina native — passed on her own bid. Democrats optimistic about Cooper, Whatley calls his views extreme The Democratic side of the race took shape earlier this week as Cooper, a former two-term governor, announced Monday that he would run. The next day ex-U.S. Rep. Wiley Nickel ended his campaign and endorsed Cooper. Cooper's entry brings optimism to a party aiming to take back the Senate in 2026 with a net gain of four seats — a tall task in a year when many Senate races are in states Trump won easily in 2024. National Republican campaign strategists say that Cooper's entry makes North Carolina a more difficult seat for the party to hold, though a Democrat hasn't won a Senate race in usually competitive North Carolina since 2008. At least two lesser-known Republican candidates are seeking the GOP nomination. Candidate filing begins in December, with primaries held in March. But Whatley spent his launch speech targeting Cooper, accusing him of 'offering voters an extreme radical-left ideology — open borders, inflationary spending and a weak America.' 'I believe in a better North Carolina and a stronger America,' he added. Whatley will leave RNC post Trump, who narrowly won North Carolina's electoral votes all three times that he ran for president, also supported Whatley to replace national party chair Ronna McDaniel early last year. Whatley joked in April to an Iowa audience that Trump was so pleased with his work as chair that he offered Whatley any job that he wanted in Trump's administration, as long as he stayed on as chair. But with his campaign bid, Whatley will leave the chairman's post. RNC members are expected to vote on his successor next month in Atlanta. Trump has endorsed Florida state Sen. Joe Gruters, a former Florida Republican Party chairman who is now the RNC's treasurer and was co-chair of Trump's 2016 campaign in Florida. While never elected to government office and without a voting record, Whatley has promoted the president's agenda and led the party apparatus that helped him get elected in 2024. So he'll be asked repeatedly to defend a host of Trump initiatives. Whatley, 56, grew up in the western North Carolina mountains. His first major foray into politics came in high school when he volunteered for the 1984 reelection campaign of U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms. He earned law and theology degrees from the University of Notre Dame. Whatley was on a team of lawyers working on George W. Bush's behalf to dispute the outcome of the 2000 presidential contest. He landed a job in Bush's administration with the Department of Energy, followed by a two-year stint working for former North Carolina Sen. Elizabeth Dole. He later lobbied for oil and gas companies. Medicaid cuts will be an issue Whatley spent time during Thursday's speech highlighting what he considers Trump's many accomplishments, including a remake of the Republican Party. But Whatley also will have to defend portions of Trump's new law that includes pulling back on Medicaid, which North Carolina officials say threatens expansion coverage for hundreds of thousands of people. It was Cooper who reached a bipartisan agreement with state Republicans in 2023 to offer Medicaid expansion. Cooper's campaign criticized Whatley as 'a D.C. insider and big oil lobbyist who supports policies that are ripping health care away from North Carolinians and raising costs for middle class families.' In a news release, Cooper campaign manager Jeff Allen added that Cooper has a 'record of putting partisanship aside to get results for North Carolina.' At the close of his tenure as state chairman, Whatley highlighted his efforts to encourage early voting and protect 'election integrity,' as well as online fundraising and volunteer training. He cited electoral victories for Republicans on North Carolina's appeals courts and within the General Assembly. But Democrats continued to control the governor's mansion, as Cooper won a second term in 2020. __ Robertson reported from Raleigh, N.C. Beaumont reported from Des Moines, Iowa.
