Republican Senate Candidate In Battleground State Currently Has No TV Ads As Midterms Approach, Report Says

Michael Whatley, the Republican nominee for Senate in North Carolina, currently has no TV ads lined up less than three weeks from November’s midterm elections.

AdImpact reports that Whatley’s campaign has no money reserved for future TV ads, CBS 17 noted.

“It’s a temporary pause and we’ll be back on the air shortly with our closing message that may or may not ask voters why does our elderly opponent refuse to answer basic questions about his health and ability to serve in the U.S. Senate,” a Whatley spokesperson said, according to POLITICO.

“We are confident we have the resources needed to win the only poll that matters — Election Day in November,” the spokesperson added.

#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

— AdImpact Politics (@AdImpact_Pol) October 14, 2026

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POLITICO shared further:

Cooper’s campaign, by contrast, has $7.4 million in future TV ad reservations, in addition to $11.2 million from outside groups. Republican outside groups have just $4.7 million reserved, giving Democrats a nearly 4 to 1 advantage in future TV ad spending, according to an analysis of AdImpact data.

The move by Whatley’s campaign is rare this close to the election, a period when candidates typically ramp up their advertising as voters begin casting ballots.

“It was always going to be a tough seat for Rs to hold,” said Doug Heye, a longtime GOP strategist who is from North Carolina. “Trump’s numbers are in the tank and Cooper is a good candidate who has won statewide. This is what was always going to happen.”

Cooper, who has repeatedly led Whatley in public polling and candidate fundraising, enters the final stretch of the campaign as the clear front-runner over Whatley, a former chair of the Republican National Committee and the handpicked candidate of President Donald Trump.

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A spokesperson for Cooper criticized the Whatley campaign’s comments about his health.

“These are more desperate lies from a desperate candidate,” the spokesperson commented, according to the outlet.

“Roy Cooper has held over 350 events over the course of this campaign, is in excellent health and will obviously serve his full term,” the spokesperson added.

“While Roy Cooper retired to his basement, Michael Whatley hit 425,000 miles on his truck by visiting all of North Carolina’s 100 counties and meeting with voters from Asheville to Wilmington,” the Trump campaign wrote on X.

“Michael Whatley will be a great senator. Vote for Michael on or before November 3!” it added.

While Roy Cooper retired to his basement, Michael Whatley hit 425,000 miles on his truck by visiting all of North Carolina's 100 counties and meeting with voters from Asheville to Wilmington.

Michael Whatley will be a great senator. Vote for Michael on or before November 3! https://t.co/p97Cgic9ON

— Team Trump (Text TRUMP to 88022) (@TeamTrump) October 13, 2026

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CBS 17 has more:

Jeff Allen, Cooper’s campaign manager, said in a statement, “A Democrat has not won statewide federal office here in nearly two decades and North Carolina is a 50-50 state. We’re building a campaign to earn every vote and make sure North Carolinians know that Roy Cooper will fight for them, while Michael Whatley will continue to enrich himself at their expense.”

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