A major Republican political action committee has withdrawn financial support for its Senate candidate in North Carolina, Michael Whatley, it was reported in multiple instances. The Senate Leadership Fund, the arm of Senate Majority Leader John Thorne, is redirecting funds designated for the state to other candidates, Semafor reported on Friday, with sources close to the fund confirming the move to the New York Times, CNN and other publications.
The committee had pledged $71 million to retain the Senate seat in North Carolina, and planned to spend a further $30 million in support of Whatley. However, as midterm polls become increasingly unfavourable, the party is beginning to triage resources. According to reports, the SLF will redirect money from North Carolina to support Republican Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas, who is facing a serious challenge from Adam Hamilton, a Methodist pastor. The Cook Political Report rates that race as "leaning Republican".
The race in North Carolina opened up after the withdrawal of Thom Tillis from the US Senate, which opened the path for Democrats to take the seat. Former Governor Roy Cooper easily won the Democratic primaries. Whatley, the former head of the Republican National Committee personally selected by Donald Trump, was considered a mainstream candidate compared to other Republican candidates in that tight state. The Cook Political Report rated the race for the Senate in North Carolina as "leaning Democratic".
The SLF began attacking Cooper before he had secured the nomination. The fund had previously issued advertisements attempting to link Cooper to the killing of Irena Zarutskaya, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, in an unprovoked attack on a light rail train in Charlotte. Cooper was not in office at the time. The board's advertising in North Carolina consistently focused on crime and public safety, including a series of interviews with victims of crime. Ronald Hayes, whose son Shemar was killed in 2024, appeared in one such advertisement, later stating that he had been "overpowered" by the SLF, believing he would appear in an advertisement against gun violence, not in a political campaign.
Republicans currently hold a majority of 53 to 47 in the Senate. With Vice President JD Vance casting the deciding vote, they can afford to lose up to three seats while retaining control of the chamber. Seven other races are uncertain, with five currently held by Republicans, including seats in Alaska, Iowa, Maine, Ohio and Texas. Cooper, on the other hand, maintained a lead in the polls over Whatson despite a flood of political advertising. A poll by AARP published on Monday gave him a lead of 11 percentage points, in line with other recent polls. Cooper has not had less than a four-point lead over Whatson this year. Early voting in North Carolina begins on 15 October.
