Trump-backed candidate pulls ads off the air as polls show grim prospects

North Carolina Senate candidate Michael Whatley has taken his TV commercials off the air as national Republican groups pull back from the race, according to a report published in The News & Observer.

A campaign source told McClatchy the break is brief and reflects a change in which voters the campaign is courting. "We are confident we have the resources to target our late-breaking supporters and win on Election Day," the source said.

But the decision follows weeks of speculation that GOP groups were giving up on Whatley.

The Senate Leadership Fund, the largest Republican super PAC devoted to defending the majority, confirmed last week it's shifting money to Kansas, where Sen. Roger Marshall is losing ground to Democrat Adam Hamilton. Old North Action reportedly pulled a $6.5 million commitment, and Americans for Prosperity Action omitted North Carolina from its announcement of $22 million in ad purchases nationwide. In response, the Democratic super PAC WinSenate withdrew $500,000 in TV ads and about $50,000 in digital spending, according to The Hill.

Whatley, a former chair of the Republican National Committee, has trailed Democratic former Gov. Roy Cooper in every poll since the two launched campaigns in July 2025, frequently by double digits, and surveys keep showing many voters don't know who Whatley is. Cooper is a longtime fixture of state politics who served as attorney general before being elected governor. Whatley built his career as a lobbyist and Senate staffer before leading the Republican Party in North Carolina and nationally.

The contest was once forecast to be among the most expensive Senate races ever, possibly nearing $1 billion, with Cooper widely expected to face incumbent Thom Tillis. Tillis bowed out following an increasingly fractious relationship with President Donald Trump, who personally selected Whatley as his replacement.

Federal filings show Cooper's campaign has spent over $14 million and Whatley's nearly $8 million. OpenSecrets puts combined fundraising at about $45 million.