Overview
- President Donald Trump held a rally in Gastonia on Wednesday to stump for Republican Michael Whatley and cast the race as a choice on crime and public safety.
- Recent polls show Democrat Roy Cooper leading Whatley by roughly single digits to double digits, and Cooper has outpaced Whatley in fundraising and name recognition.
- Whatley remains closely tied to Trump and is relying on the president and national GOP super PACs to supply late-stage ad dollars and voter enthusiasm.
- Many swing and unaffiliated voters cite rising costs for gas and groceries as their top concern, a dynamic that sources say is weakening Trump and down-ballot GOP prospects with independents.
- North Carolina began mailing absentee ballots on Sept. 4 and the race is now in a compressed finish with heavy outside spending, making turnout operations and last‑minute ads decisive for control of the Senate.