Republican Michael Whatley unveils a significant ad buy attacking Democratic rival Roy Cooper over taxes, while Coopers camp fires back with broader criticisms. The high-stakes contest for the retiring Sen. Thom Tillis's seat is shoWing a narrowing poll gap.
the North Carolina Senate race between Republican candidate Michael Whatley and Democratic candidate Roy Cooper has intensified with a new ad from the Whatley campaign. whatley, a former Republican National Committee chairman,criticizes Cooper, the state's former governor, for opposing President Donald Trump's 2017 tax law.
The ad highlights provisions of that law which eliminated taxes on overtime and tips and temporarily reduced taxes for many Social Security recipients. The Whatley campaign is investing a significant seven-figure sum to run this ad on streaming services across the state, a notable expenditure for a platform that does not include traditional broadcast television.
In the ad, Whatley states his campaign focus is to "cut taxes and make life more affordable" and promises to permanently "conclude the tax on senior Social Security.
" The narrator directly attacks Cooper, claiming he "backs higher taxes on tips and overtime,and even higher taxes on Social Security. " Cooper's campaign immediately pushed back, asserting that the governor actually supports eliminating taxes on tips, overtime, and Social Security. A spokesperson for Cooper then launched a broader counterattack, highlighting Whatley's background. They noted his recent leadership of the national Republican Party and his previous career as an oil lobbyist.
The spokesperson accused Whatley of having "helped lead the charge to double healthcare premiums, pushed legislation to jack up prescription drug prices for our seniors, created millions lobbying for massive utility companies including Duke Energy as individuals's electric bills went through the roof and spent his career delivering for corporations and special interests at the expense of North Carolina families.
" This open seat, vacated by retiring Republican Senator Thom Tillis,is one of the most closely watched and expensive contests in the nation, with control of the U.S. Senate hanging in the balance. Republicans currently hold a 53-47 advantage. For Democrats,winning this seat is a crucial part of their strAtegy to regain the majority.
Recent polling from the left-leaning Public Policy Polling shows a tight race, with Whatley having closed a previous double-digit gap to trail Cooper by only 4 percentage points. Tillis, the outgoing senator, has not endorsed Whatley and has become more independent in his public statements as his term ends. While he told The Charlotte Observer he "clearly" prefers Whatley to win, Tillis questioned the utility of his own endorsement and expressed doubts about Whatley's strategy.
He suggested Whatley needs to do more to appeal to unaffiliated and moderate "center-right" swing voters,stating, "You don't win the state of North Carolina if you get 100% of all Republicans... Michaels got to get to that center-right, which is a sweet spot for Republicans in statewide elections. he's received some work to do.
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