Former Republican National Committee (RNC) chairman Michael Whatley is hammering former Democratic North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper’s track record on law-and-order issues in his bid to become the state’s next senator.
The Whatley War Room’s “Mugshot Mondays” digital series campaign, first shared with the Daily Caller News Foundation, will highlight repeat offenders who were released from detention and allowed to commit new crimes in North Carolina. Crime is likely to be a major flashpoint during the state’s open 2026 Senate race and Whatley is expected to zero in on Cooper’s support for lenient crime policies and appointing left-wing judges who allowed violent individuals to roam free.
Whatley and Cooper are expected to emerge as their party’s respective nominees to advance to the general election. President Donald Trump helped clear the primary field for Whatley following Republican North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis’ retirement announcement in July.
“Roy Cooper’s pro-criminal cashless bail, pretrial release, and far-left appointees turned North Carolina’s justice system into a revolving door for violent offenders,” Whatley campaign senior advisor Danielle Alvarez said in a statement shared with the DCNF. “His dangerous record continues to haunt our state — just look at Iryna Zarutska, murdered aboard a Charlotte train by a repeat offender released by one of Cooper’s judicial appointees.”
“As Cooper’s legacy continues to endanger every North Carolinian, it’s even more clear that Cooper belongs nowhere near the U.S. Senate,” Alvarez added.
Sanchez Nicholson is the first repeat offender to be spotlighted in the “Mugshot Mondays” campaign. Nicholson, 30, was arrested and released 33 times in Mecklenburg County before allegedly fatally shooting an individual in September.
Nicholson was charged with first-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a felon. He had previously been arrested for attempted murder on two separate occasions but was allowed to remain free, according to Republican North Carolina Rep. Mark Harris.
Whatley has also sought to tie Cooper’s criminal justice policies to the fatal stabbing of a 23 year-old Ukrainian refugee on a Charlotte light rail train in August. Decarlos Brown Jr., the suspected killer, had 14 prior arrests in Mecklenburg County under his belt and was out of prison on cashless bail for a misdemeanor offense when he allegedly stabbed Zarutska to death. Brown also reportedly has schizophrenia and was homeless.
Cooper notably formed a Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice via executive order during the height of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests in 2020 to “ensure racial equity” in the state’s criminal justice system. The body called for the elimination of cash bail for Class I, II and III misdemeanors except for when the suspect poses a safety risk.
Brown, the suspect in Zarutska’s murder, was released from jail in January after being charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor on a “written promise to appear” in court.
Cooper also released one-eighth of the state’s prison population — roughly 3,500 individuals — in 2021 following a lawsuit from the North Carolina NAACP regarding COVID-19 conditions in state prisons.
Cooper’s campaign pointed to legislation he signed into law in 2023 that set stricter bail requirements in the state in a statement shared with the DCNF. The North Carolina Democrat served as governor from 2017 to 2025.
“Roy Cooper is the only candidate who spent his career prosecuting violent criminals and keeping thousands of them behind bars as attorney general, and signing tough on crime laws and stricter bail and pretrial release rules as governor,” a Cooper campaign spokesperson said. “DC insider and Big Oil lobbyist Michael Whatley is desperate to distract from his support for cuts to law enforcement that make North Carolinians less safe.”
North Carolina is widely regarded as a must-win state for Democrats in their long shot bid of retaking control of the Senate during the midterms. Democrats view the race as one of the top flip opportunities given Cooper’s high name recognition and track record of winning statewide contests.
Republicans are also expected to spend aggressively to defend the open seat. Early analysis from the nonpartisan Cook Political report rates the contest as a “toss-up.”
Whatley reported the highest fundraising haul of any Republican running for Senate during the third fundraising quarter, which runs from July to September. His campaign account and the Whatley Victory Committee raised nearly $6 million despite entering the race less than three months ago.
Cooper also touted a massive $14.5 million haul for his campaign’s first fundraising quarter.
The race is widely expected to be among the most expensive Senate contests in history.
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