Roy Cooper
Background
According to Ballotpedia, Roy Cooper served in North Carolina’s House of Representatives from 1987-1991. Cooper also served in North Carolina’s State Senate from 1991-2001, until he was elected Attorney General of North Carolina, where he served until 2017. In 2017, Cooper won the race for governor and served two terms until 2025. Cooper has not lost a campaign in his home state and has made history multiple times as a Democrat in North Carolina, winning large elected positions in a state that as of 2012, has only sent Republicans to the White House.
Values and Campaign Promises
According to Roy Cooper’s website, Cooper promises to:
- Fight for the middle class’s economic prosperity.
- Strengthen North Carolina’s Public Education System.
- Protect Reproductive Rights.
- Stand up to “drug companies and big banks.”
- Strengthen law enforcement.
- Relieve hospitals of medical debt.
Campaign Tactics
- Cooper will likely follow a similar formula that has led him to victory in every campaign he has ever won in the state of North Carolina.
- Cooper will likely portray himself as a Democrat willing to reach across the aisle, able to serve all North Carolinians regardless of party affiliation.
- According to a March WUNC News article by Associated Press titled, “Democrat Roy Cooper needs to defy North Carolina history to keep winning streak alive in Senate race,” while Cooper has remained transparent in terms of his thoughts on further securing the border, Cooper will likely attack the Trump Administration’s leadership in recent efforts to curb illegal immigration, likely citing the recent killings of two individuals at the hands of federal agents in Minneapolis.
- Cooper will also have to navigate what it means for his opponent to be endorsed by the President of the United States, and how this will shape his campaign against Whatley.
Michael Whatley
Background
According to Ballotpedia, Whatley worked as a legal counsel aid to U.S. Senator Paul Coverdell, a Republican from Georgia, in 2000. In 2001, Whatley began working as a principal deputy assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Energy under then-President George W. Bush. Whatley held this position from 2001-2003. In 2019, Whatley was elected by the Republican Party to hold the position of chairman for the Republican Party of North Carolina. In 2024, Whatley was then elected Chairman by the Republican National Committee, which he has since resigned from to run for North Carolina senator.
Values and Campaign Promises
According to Michael Whatley’s website:
- Whatley wants North Carolinians to have “more money in their pockets, safe communities, and a strong country.”
- Whatley says he is striving to provide North Carolinians with “a better state where you can buy a home, raise a family, and see your kids do better than you did.”
Campaign Tactics
- Whatley’s main political ally is President Donald Trump, who encouraged Whatley’s nomination to lead the Republican Party’s campaign strategies in 2024. Whatley will likely use his connections in Washington to help secure his spot in North Carolina as Senator.
- Whatley will likely go after Cooper’s terms as governor, attacking prices under Cooper’s leadership, as well as possibly analyzing his response to COVID-19 and Hurricane Helene.
- Whatley will likely use common anti-immigration sentiments aligned with the MAGA movement to rally voters who are already concerned with illegal immigration.
- Whatley will also likely cite crime rates under Cooper’s leadership, likely referencing the murder of Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee who was stabbed while riding the Charlotte light-rail train. According to the Associated Press at WUNC news, the murder suspect was already a charged criminal at the time of the stabbing. Trump invited Iryna’s family to his latest State of the Union address.
The upcoming statewide election is coming up on Nov 3, 2026. The Salemite will continue to cover the midterm elections.
