North Carolina Democrats have framed Republican Senate hopeful Michael Whatley as an extremist out of step with the state, citing his long record of backing former Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson and his support for deep cuts to health care, according to NC Newsline.
At a press conference at state Democratic Party headquarters, Rep. Phil Rubin (D-Wake) blasted Whatley as a “Washington big oil lobbyist” who has “consistently elevated the most extreme forces in this party and in North Carolina”. Rubin pointed directly to Robinson, who lost the 2024 governor’s race in a landslide after years of inflammatory remarks.
Whatley’s Robinson Problem
Democrats highlighted Whatley’s role in Robinson’s rise, noting that as state GOP chair, Whatley in 2022 called Robinson “the greatest lieutenant governor in the United States” even as Robinson was under fire for rhetoric targeting LGBTQ people, women, and victims of sexual assault.
“His support for Robinson was steadfast even as Robinson said vile things about women, attacked victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, and said, ‘We are called to be led by men, not women,’” Rubin said. “This election is a clear choice between results and resentment, between competence and culture wars.”
After Robinson’s primary victory in 2024, Whatley cheered him on social media, saying voters “have delivered a resounding message that they want change in the Governor’s mansion and Mark Robinson is ready to deliver it!” But when Robinson’s campaign imploded following CNN’s reporting on his online activity, Whatley expressed disappointment yet stopped short of disavowing him.
“Those comments are absolutely antithetical to Republican values, and if Mark Robinson is going to continue in this race, then yeah, I do think he is going to have to demonstrate to the voters of North Carolina that those are not his words, his actions, or his values,” he said to Bloomberg Radio in September.
Former Republican Gov. Pat McCrory later criticized Whatley, saying that he “ignored many known flaws that many of us knew about [Robinson] and just assumed they’d be brushed over,” and helped enable Robinson’s candidacy, calling him “a ticking time bomb.”
Defining a Little-Known Candidate
Whatley, who became the national Republican Party chair in March 2024 with Donald Trump’s backing, announced his Senate run after Sen. Thom Tillis said he would not seek re-election. His entry came weeks after Democrat Roy Cooper jumped into the race, setting up what could be one of the costliest contests of 2026.
Still, Whatley remains relatively unknown to voters. An Emerson College poll on August 1 found that 36% of voters had never heard of him, while another 30% had no opinion. Cooper, by contrast, enjoys near-universal name recognition. That same survey showed Cooper leading Whatley 47% to 41%, with 12% undecided.
Robinson’s resounding defeat last fall — by nearly 15 points, the largest gubernatorial loss in the state in four decades — gives Democrats hope they can tether Whatley to the same brand of extremism.
Health Care on the Ballot
Speakers also attacked Whatley over his support for the GOP’s so-called “big, beautiful bill,” which slashed health care and social services spending. They contrasted it with Cooper’s record of expanding Medicaid to cover nearly 670,000 North Carolinians.
“We cannot afford a senator like Mr. Whatley, who called gutting Medicaid for over 650,000 North Carolinians, undermining our rural hospitals, ‘a big win,’” Rubin said. “We should reject Michael Whatley’s radical agenda and send a senator to Washington who will protect health care, lower costs, defend our freedoms, and safeguard our democracy. North Carolina deserves nothing less than Roy Cooper in the United States Senate.”
The press conference also featured personal testimony from Jen Kalinowski, the mother of a girl with a rare genetic disorder who relies on Medicaid for lifesaving care.
“She will never be able to gain any independence without her therapies. She certainly will not have the quality of care and support she needs. She will die without control of her seizures,” Kalinowski said. “We can’t elect a U.S. senator who rips away health care from those who need it more. I implore my fellow North Carolinians to please stand up for what’s right”.
