Source: Editorial
With North Carolinians continuing to feel squeezed by higher costs, affordability has become a defining issue in the U.S. Senate race between former Gov. Roy Cooper and Republican Michael Whatley. The candidates have offered sharply different approaches on everything from health care and energy bills to tariffs and disaster recovery.
Cooper has made lowering costs a centerpiece of his campaign, traveling the state on his “Make Stuff Cost Less” tour and proposing policies aimed at lowering grocery and health care costs. He has also opposed President Trump’s tariffs, which a congressional analysis found are costing American families an additional $2,500 this year. Whatley, meanwhile, has embraced Trump’s agenda and pledged to advance it in the Senate.
The contrast extends to health care. Whatley cheered on congressional Republicans as they allowed enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits to expire. North Carolina has since experienced the steepest decline in ACA marketplace enrollment in the country, with some families seeing premiums more than double. Whatley also helped push legislation that could increase some prescription drug costs for seniors while he holds investments in pharmaceutical companies.
Energy costs offer another divide. As Duke Energy customers face high summer bills and the possibility of another rate increase, Whatley has declined to take a position on the company’s proposal. His family holds as much as $445,000 in Duke Energy stock, and Whatley previously spent more than a decade lobbying for utility companies, including Duke, and arguing for rate increases.
The candidates have also split over the federal response to Hurricane Helene. Trump appointed Whatley as Western North Carolina’s recovery czar, but Whatley later said he had suggested abolishing FEMA. Cooper has pushed for additional federal support as communities continue rebuilding and has criticized delays in getting already-approved aid to the region.
With costs continuing to dominate kitchen-table conversations, North Carolina voters face a clear choice between two candidates with very different records and priorities on the issues hitting household budgets.
