President Trump is spending Wednesday in Gastonia, North Carolina, campaigning for Republican Senate candidate Michael Whatley. The seat came open when Senator Thom Tillis decided not to seek re-election, and Democrats see it as one of their best chances to flip a chamber that is split almost evenly. Whatley, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee, has consistently trailed Democrat Roy Cooper, the state’s former two-term governor.
What makes the timing notable is that North Carolina has already begun mailing ballots. Early voting doesn’t wait for the campaign calendar, and with less than 50 days until the midterms, voters are making decisions while the candidates are still making their closing arguments. Trump’s approval rating in the state has also declined, which adds pressure on the rally to deliver more than a morale boost.
For those of us here on the Suncoast, this race carries extra weight. Plenty of Florida residents have roots in the Carolinas, and control of the Senate shapes everything from hurricane relief funding to flood insurance policy that hits Gulf Coast homeowners directly. Who do you expect to come out on top in North Carolina this November?
