Democrats Slash Ad Spending In North Carolina As Roy Cooper Remains Comfortably Ahead Of Michael Whatley

Democrats cut back on some of their advertisement spending Monday while former Democratic North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper continued to lead former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley in the North Carolina Senate race.

WinSenate, a super political action committee (PAC) aligned with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s Senate Majority PAC, removed roughly $1.1 million in North Carolina ad buys while Cooper holds a strong lead against Whatley, according to AdImpact Politics. The top Republican super PAC, Senate Leadership Fund, and other Republican PACs paused their spending in North Carolina to pour more money into deep red states and districts.

WinSenate had $18.8 million in future reservations for North Carolina as of Tuesday through Election Day, according to AdImpact.

The Senate Majority PAC did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment on where the money is being reallocated.

Cooper held a nine-point lead as of Tuesday, according to RealClearPolling’s average.

A spokesperson for Whatley’s campaign remained confident the campaign had the resources to defeat Cooper.

“Roy Cooper recently said about federal elections in North Carolina, ‘Democrats are often ahead until they are not,'” spokesperson DJ Griffin told the DCNF in a Friday statement. “Undecided Voters who break late decide the election in North Carolina and the majority of those Late-Breakers typically go Republican. We feel confident we have the resources to highlight Career Politician Roy Cooper’s 40 Years of Failures and win in November.”

The Senate Leadership Fund launched a seven-figure ad campaign in Kansas, a traditionally red state where Republican Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall faces tough competition against Democratic Kansas Senate nominee Adam Hamilton. The state has not had a Democratic senator since 1939.

Americans for Prosperity Action, a PAC aligned with the Koch brothers, did not include North Carolina in its $22 million list of future spending across key Republican Senate contests. Old North Action removed $6.5 million in ad reservations in September, Semafor first reported.