A major Republican political action committee pulled the plug on financial support for its Senate candidate in North Carolina, Michael Whatley, according to multiple reports, as the party begins to triage resources amid increasingly dire midterm polling.
uncertain
party → pull → polling
The Senate Leadership Fund (SLF), the campaign arm of the Senate majority leader, John Thune, has withdrawn its ad spending in North Carolina to redirect support to other candidates, Semafor reported on Friday.
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Semafor → withdraw → Friday
The New York Times, CNN and other publications have confirmed the report with sources close to the fund.
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Times → confirm → fund
The retirement of Thom Tillis from the US Senate opened the door for Democrats to flip the seat.
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Democrats → open → seat
Former governor Roy Cooper, a venerable presence in the state’s politics, easily won the Democratic nomination.
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Cooper → win → nomination
Whatley, a former chair of the Republican National Committee, was handpicked by Donald Trump and viewed as a more mainstream candidate than other Republican contenders in the closely contested state.
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Whatley → handpicke → state
The SLF had pledged $71m to hold North Carolina’s US Senate seat, and started targeting Cooper before he even won the nomination.
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he → pledge → nomination
The fund ran ads last year trying to link Cooper with the murder of Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, in an unprovoked attack aboard a light-rail train in Charlotte.
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fund → run → Charlotte
The Pac’s advertising in North Carolina has consistently focused on crime and public safety, featuring a series of interviews with crime victims.
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advertising → focus → victims
Ronald Hayes, whose son Shemar was murdered in 2024, appeared in one such ad.
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son → murder → ad
Hayes later said he had been “swindled” by the SLF, believing he was going to appear in an advertisement against gun violence and not a political campaign ad.
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he → say → violence
The SLF had planned to spend $30m more supporting Whatley.
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SLF → plan → Whatley
But polling data presents an increasingly difficult political map for Republicans trying to hold control of the Senate.
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data → present → Senate
Republicans have a 53-47 majority today.
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Republicans → have → majority
With the vice-president, JD Vance, as a tiebreaker, Republicans can afford to lose no more than three seats to keep control.
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Republicans → afford → control
The Cook Political Report rates the North Carolina Senate race as “leans Democratic”.
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Report → rat → race
Seven other races are toss-ups; five are currently held by Republicans, including seats in Alaska, Iowa, Maine, Ohio and Texas.
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five → hold → Alaska
Roger Marshall, the senator from Kansas, is facing a stiff challenge from Adam Hamilton, a Methodist pastor.
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Marshall → face → Hamilton
Cook rates the race as “leans Republican”.
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Cook → rat → leans
The SLF reportedly will redirect its North Carolina spending to support Marshall.
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SLF → redirect → Marshall
Cooper has persistently maintained a polling lead over Whatley despite the deluge of political ads.
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Cooper → maintain → ads
An AARP poll released on Monday gave Cooper an 11-point lead, consistent with other recent polls.
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poll → release → polls
Cooper has never had less than a four-point lead on Whatley in any poll this year.
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Cooper → have → poll
In-person early voting starts on 15 October in North Carolina.
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voting → start → Carolina
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