He’s up against former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley this November.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. โ Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper brought his “Make Stuff Cost Less” tour to west Charlotte on Friday, making his case to voters as he campaigns for the U.S. Senate seatย against former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley.
Cooper, a Democrat, centered his remarks on the rising cost of living, pointing to his record as governor โ during which he expanded Medicaid to now more than 720,000 North Carolinians. He also addressed high childcare costs and utility bills as key reasons he entered the race.
“I’m running for all of the people who are in the middle class and who are barely hanging on because the folks in Washington, particularly this administration, who promised them that they would put cost of living at the forefront on day one. Not only have they not done that, but they have made it worse for people,” Cooper said.
On energy costs, Cooper singled out the growing power demands of data centers as a driver of rising consumer utility rates.
“First, we need to make sure that data centers pay for their own power, and we need to encourage them to build their own energy sources, because right now that’s causing rates to go up for consumers, and we can’t have that,” Cooper said. “I continue to fight rates increases year after year, and as a US senator, I’m going to do what I can to try to lower the cost of utilities for everyday families.”
Cooper holds a significant fundraising advantage in the race. As of late April, he had raised at least $36 million compared to Whatley’s $16 million โ despite Whatley’s endorsement from former President Donald Trump.
Whatley has focused his campaign on public safety and stricter penalties for violent offenders, particularly following the murder of Iryna Zarutska.
“We need better. We need to back the blue. We need policies that are going to put more cops on the street, that are going to pay them better, and we need policies that are going to put dangerous criminals behind bars,” Whatley said at a recent Charlotte campaign stop.
The race is expected to be one of the most closely watched in the country this cycle, widely seen as Democrats’ best opportunity to flip a Senate seat in November.
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