President Trump will visit North Carolina to rally with his handpicked Senate nominee, Michael Whatley, in an effort to energize GOP voters and narrow Whatley’s gap with Democrat Roy Cooper. Whatley, a first-time candidate, has lagged Cooper in fundraising and polls. AdImpact data show Republicans have spent over $50 million on the race versus roughly $35.2 million by Democrats. Independents—more than 3.5 million voters in the state—are primarily focused on the economy, making the seat pivotal to control of the Senate.
Trump Heads to North Carolina to Boost Handpicked Senate Nominee Michael Whatley
Michael Whatley, North Carolina senatorial candidate, greets delegates as he takes the stage at the Republican convention in Dallas, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
President Donald Trump will travel to North Carolina on Wednesday to headline a campaign rally with Republican Senate nominee Michael Whatley, the former Republican National Committee chairman whom Trump handpicked for the contest. The visit is meant to help Whatley close a gap with Democrat Roy Cooper as the state’s open Senate seat becomes central to Democrats’ hopes of flipping control of the Senate.
The trip is Trump’s first campaign rally since his unconventional midterm convention in Dallas. Despite voter unease over the war in Iran and questions about his economic stewardship, Trump has pledged dozens more campaign appearances before Election Day.
Trump’s involvement creates a strategic balancing act for Whatley: he must rely on the president’s energized base to turn out while also trying to court moderates and disaffected conservatives worried about the direction of the country. Whatley, a first-time candidate for public office, had been viewed as a strong recruit to hold the seat vacated by Sen. Thom Tillis, who retired after clashing with Trump last year.
President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before boarding Air Force One at Shannon Airport, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Shannon, Ireland. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)(AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
Whatley has trailed Cooper in recent fundraising and polling, and Trump has acknowledged the challenging landscape in North Carolina. During his Dallas keynote, Trump said:
"In North Carolina, you have a little more difficult case, because people don't quite get it, but they're going to find out."
Democrats have not won a U.S. Senate race in North Carolina since 2008, and Trump has carried the state three times in recent presidential contests. The open seat is therefore a key target in Democrats’ broader strategy to flip the Senate. Roy Cooper is considered one of Democrats’ strongest recruits this cycle, having won every statewide race he's contested after four terms as attorney general and two terms as governor.
Republican pollster Paul Shumaker, who worked on campaigns for Thom Tillis and Sen. Ted Budd, said Trump’s rally will likely re-energize Republicans who are less enthusiastic than Democrats about the race. Shumaker noted that registered Democrats and Republicans in North Carolina are roughly balanced while independents—more than 3.5 million voters—outnumber both. That independent bloc is most concerned about the economy, an area where Trump is viewed as weaker now than in 2024, rather than crime or immigration.
Former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who is running for U.S. Senate, speaks to supporters at St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church in Goldsboro, N.C., on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Allen G. Breed)(AP Photo/Allen G. Breed)
"They see the White House more focused on everything but the economy," Shumaker said. "So that narrative has to change to give them a path here in North Carolina."
Whatley has not distanced himself from Trump. In a brief address in Dallas he praised Trump’s policy agenda — highlighting the tax cuts in the president’s described "big beautiful bill" last year — while spending much of his time criticizing Cooper as soft on crime and costly for families.
"Under Roy Cooper's reign, North Carolina became the most expensive state in the nation for health care costs," Whatley said, pressing his economic critiques of the former governor.
Cooper’s campaign pushed back on Whatley’s attacks and pointed to scrutiny after reports that a convicted sex offender was asked to offer the opening prayer at a Whatley campaign event — an issue Cooper’s team has highlighted to challenge Whatley’s judgment and campaign oversight.
On advertising, data from AdImpact show Republicans have spent more than $50 million on the contest, versus about $35.2 million by Democrats, with contributions from Trump’s MAGA Inc. and other conservative PACs accounting for much of the Republican advantage in outside spending.
Cooper has no public events scheduled for Wednesday, but the state Democratic Party plans a news conference aimed at pressing the economic message and keeping attention on inflation under Trump.
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