Michael Whatley Goes Dark In North Carolina

Republican North Carolina Senate nominee Michael Whatley had no future linear advertisement booked in the state as of Wednesday.

Whatley’s campaign booked no television ads under their name from Wednesday through Election Day, according to AdImpact Politics. They aired their last advertisement the week of Oct. 7.

Former Democratic North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper’s campaign booked $7.4 million in future ad reservations, AdImpact reported. (RELATED: Crypto PAC, Republicans Reportedly Swooping In To Save Incumbent Senator Pete Ricketts In Nebraska)

#NCPol: Michael Whatley currently has no future linear ad reservations booked for #NCSen. His campaign’s last broadcast TV ad aired a week ago, on 10/7. Future reservations: Campaign: 🔵$7.4M 🔴$0 Outside groups: 🔵$11.2M 🔴$4.7M

Outside groups booked $11.2 million in future ads supporting Cooper and $4.7 million backing Whatley, according to AdImpact.

Whatley’s and Cooper’s campaigns did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s requests for comment.

Whatley temporarily pulled television ads on Oct. 7 while rethinking their strategy. Republican political action committees (PACs) slashed funding for the North Carolina race to help candidates in red states, including Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

The Senate Leadership Fund, the Republicans’ top Senate campaign arm, paused spending in North Carolina after pouring $30 million into the race to support Whatley. Americans for Prosperity Action, a PAC aligned with the Koch brothers, did not include North Carolina in its $22 million list of future spending across key Republican Senate contests.

Old North Action removed $6.5 million in ad reservations in September, Semafor first reported.

WinSenate, a super political action committee (PAC) aligned with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s Senate Majority PAC, removed roughly $1.1 million in North Carolina ad buys while Cooper remained safely ahead. The super PAC had $18.8 million in future reservations for North Carolina through Election Day.

Republicans spent over $200 million supporting Paxton, who trailed Democratic Texas Senate nominee James Talarico by 2.6 points, according to RealClearPolling. The Senate Leadership Fund dedicated $14 million in spending for the Kansas race, where Republican Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall faces a tough challenge against his Democratic opponent.

Kansas voters last elected a Democratic senator in November 1932.

Republican PACs also ramped up spending in traditionally red states such as South Carolina and South Dakota.

President Donald Trump endorsed Whatley early in the election cycle after the candidate chaired the Republican National Committee (RNC) alongside Trump’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump. Republican North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis announced in June 2025 that he would not seek reelection after Trump threatened to support his primary challenger over his vote against the One Big, Beautiful Bill.