Some very encouraging news today out of North Carolina courtesy of PPP’s latest poll:
North Carolina is always competitive. Even in the wave election of 2018, Democrats won the only one on one statewide race between a Democrat and a Republican 51-49. When it’s a great political climate for Republicans they win by 2 or 3. When it’s a great political climate for Democrats they win by 2 or 3. The state is that closely divided.
This year is no different. PPP’s new statewide poll finds Roy Cooper leading Michael Whatley 47-44 in the US Senate race and Anita Earls leading Sarah Stevens 43-40 in the Supreme Court race. All of the races for Court of Appeals are within three points one way or another.
The races are tight to begin with, and a path to victory exists for the Republicans in them. The undecideds in the Senate race voted for Donald Trump by 46 points last time. The undecideds in the Supreme Court race voted for Donald Trump by 27 points last time. If they end up moving off the fence to the party they voted for in 2024, it would be enough to put the GOP candidates slightly ahead in those races.
Midterm elections are often referendums on the President and North Carolina’s close division extends to feelings about Donald Trump- 47% of voters have a favorable opinion of him and 50% have an unfavorable one. The tightness of the statewide races reflect that tightness in attitudes toward the President.
Democrats are decently well positioned for this fall eight months out from November. But North Carolina never has a blowout election.
Click here for the full results.
Something you should know about Whatley:
A Republican Senate hopeful backed by President Donald Trump is facing backlash in his own party after he was accused of helping a convicted child sex offender get leadership roles.
But Trump has only doubled down amid the growing scandal, declaring Monday that the beleaguered candidate will be “fantastic” and “one of the best.”
His glowing testimonial for North Carolina Senate candidate Michael Whatley came shortly after the Daily Beast emailed the White House seeking comment on the controversy, and whether it might be an issue for the president.
Whatley, the former chair of the Republican National Committee, has campaigned against his rival’s supposed “soft-on-crime policies,” a sentiment Trump himself seized on in voicing his support. But a revolt is now brewing in the ranks of the state GOP after a report last week detailed Whatley’s support for Harvey L. West Jr., 54, who secured leadership positions after serving a stint in prison.
West, in a candid conversation with the Daily Beast, said he was open with the party’s leadership about his past “from day one.” That past includes charges of statutory rape involving three girls, two aged 14 and one aged 16, in 1999, when West was 28 years old and working as a police officer.
Meanwhile, I’m liking Cooper’s messaging on the campaign trail:
Cooper’s campaign tour of the state comes a day after the former governor’s decisive victory in the Democratic primary election, which he won with 92% of the vote, according to the unofficial tally by the North Carolina State Board of Elections.
“Most everywhere I go, folks are telling me that they are getting squeezed at the grocery store,” he said. “I think North Carolina families have had enough, and they’re going to tell us at the ballot box come November.”
He outlined four policy goals to help reduce the price of food and groceries: opposing the Trump administration’s tariffs, working to block corporate mergers of grocery chains, banning algorithmic pricing that raises costs for individual customers, and barring food companies from using software to coordinate prices.
“These corporations try to hit consumers from every angle, and that includes using your personal data to charge different people different prices, squeeze every penny out of consumers,” Cooper said. “I will fight to pass legislation that bans these practices and puts money back in your pockets.”
We have a big fight ahead of us in the Tar Heel State but we’re in a strong position to win. Let’s get ready to flip North Carolina Blue. Click below to donate and get involved with Cooper and his fellow North Carolina Democrats campaigns.
U.S. Senate
Roy Cooper
Justices
Anita Earls
John Arrowood
Toby Hampson
State Party
North Carolina Democratic Party
