Our endorsement: A stark choice for North Carolina in the US Senate race
The top of North Carolina’s midterm ticket features what may be the state’s most lopsided U.S. Senate race in recent memory.
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It would be hard to find a candidate more experienced or equipped to serve than former Gov. Roy Cooper, who has spent nearly 40 years as a state legislator, attorney general and governor. As governor, he was a strong presence through tumultuous times — not perfect, but steady — and he did his best to mitigate the impacts of a divisive and destructive legislature.
His lengthy career in public office should leave voters with little doubt about the kind of senator he would be: a thoughtful, pragmatic leader who is willing to work across the aisle when it benefits people in his state.
North Carolinians should feel comfortable sending Cooper to Washington in any election — but perhaps most of all in this election, given the stark contrast between Cooper and his opponent, Michael Whatley.
For one, Cooper is vastly more qualified than Whatley, who has never held elected office. His politics are far more moderate. And his priorities, aptly summed up with the slogan “Make Stuff Cost Less,” are more closely aligned with the concerns of the voters he is seeking to represent.
But nowhere is the gap between Cooper and Whatley more apparent than in their leadership and character. There should be no doubt about the kind of senator Whatley would be, either: the kind that takes his marching orders from President Donald Trump. North Carolina already has one of those in Washington.
Of course, it’s difficult to ascertain who Whatley is or what he actually believes, because he does not seem to think or speak for himself, at least publicly. Is he more of an establishment Republican or a hard-right conservative? Does he actually agree with Trump’s policies, or is he just playing a part?
We’d love to know the answers, but they wouldn’t change how we feel about this race. Because what really matters is who Whatley is willing to be publicly if elected to the Senate. We have little faith in his willingness to stand up to the White House or vote against his party’s policies when they’re unpopular or harmful to his state. We aren’t confident in his willingness to compromise.
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At best, he would be an enabler for a reckless, war-obsessed administration that ignores the rule of law, slashes social services, terrorizes immigrant communities, undermines public health and weaponizes the government against political enemies. At worst, he would be an avid crusader who helps the administration take its agenda to another level.
Frankly, we aren’t confident in Whatley’s ability to represent this state at all, particularly in such a crucial moment. North Carolinians are struggling to put food on the table and gas in their cars. Many are struggling to afford health care, and hundreds of thousands may lose access to care altogether as a result of federal cuts that could trigger the end of Medicaid expansion. Farmers and manufacturers fear the impact of Trump’s trade war on their livelihoods; troops and their families fear the impact of Trump’s real war on their lives. People in western North Carolina are still hurting from Hurricane Helene, no thanks to Whatley’s own inaction as the Trump-appointed “recovery czar.” It’s hard to imagine that Whatley could ever be part of a solution when he is so deeply loyal to the man who created the problem.
The dishonest fear tactics that Whatley and his party have adopted as their chief campaign strategy also raise questions about Whatley’s integrity. Politicians aren’t exactly known for being pillars of honesty, but few lie as shamelessly and egregiously as Whatley has in this race, repeatedly blaming Cooper for horrific crimes in which he and his policies played no part. That also shows a lack of respect for voters, whom Whatley is all too willing to deceive. At the very least, North Carolinians deserve a senator they can trust.
This election is a choice between a candidate who would put North Carolina first, and one who would put someone else first. It should not be a difficult one to make.
We recommend Cooper for the U.S. Senate.
Members of the combined Charlotte Observer and Raleigh News & Observer editorial boards are conducting interviews and research of candidates in municipal and state elections. The combined board is led by N.C. Opinion Editor Peter St. Onge, who is joined in Charlotte by deputy Opinion editor Paige Masten. Board members also include Observer editor Matt Leclercq and News & Observer editor Nicole Stockdale.
The editorial board also talks with others who know the candidates and have worked with them. When we’ve completed our interviews and research, we discuss each race and decide on our endorsements.
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