Overview
- President Donald Trump campaigned in Gastonia on Sept. 16 to rally support for Michael Whatley and to center the race on crime.
- Recent polls and fundraising show Whatley trailing Democrat Roy Cooper by substantial margins with an Elon University survey giving Cooper a double-digit lead.
- Reporters at the rally and voter interviews found low name recognition for Whatley even in his hometown and persistent doubts among some MAGA voters about his candidacy.
- Republican and Democratic outside groups have poured millions into the contest with trackers showing roughly $50 million in GOP-aligned ad spending versus about $35 million by Democrats and more than $100 million reserved for the closing weeks.
- Claims used in Trump’s attacks about Cooper’s record on prisoner releases are contested because inmates serving murder convictions were not eligible for early release, and the race will turn on turnout among unaffiliated voters as absentee ballots have already been mailed and in-person early voting runs Oct. 15–31.