On Monday, Democrats scaled back their advertisement expenditures, and former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper maintained his lead over former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley in the Senate race in North Carolina.
According to AdImpact Politics, WinSenate, a super PAC linked to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s Senate Majority PAC, cut around $1.1 million from their advertising budget in North Carolina, where Cooper has a notable advantage over Whatley. Some prominent Republican PACs, including the Senate Leadership Fund, have paused their own spending in North Carolina to direct funds towards more Republican-leaning states and districts.
As of Tuesday, WinSenate had $18.8 million in ad reservations in North Carolina lined up through Election Day, according to AdImpact.
Democratic group WinSenate is revising some of their #NCSen ad reservations. So far, we’ve seen $1.1M removed. The group currently has $18.8M in future #NCPol reservations on the books through Election Day.
— AdImpact Politics (@AdImpact_Pol) October 5, 2026
The Senate Majority PAC hasn’t provided comments about where the reallocated funds are going.
As per RealClearPolling’s average, Cooper had a nine-point advantage as of Tuesday.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Whatley’s campaign expressed confidence in their ability to compete against Cooper. DJ Griffin shared, “Roy Cooper recently commented on federal elections in North Carolina, suggesting that ‘Democrats are often ahead until they are not.’ We believe undecided voters who come to a conclusion late in the race tend to lean Republican, so we’re optimistic about our resources to highlight Cooper’s lengthy record and achieve victory in November.”
The Senate Leadership Fund also initiated a significant ad campaign in Kansas, a state that has traditionally leaned Republican, facing tough competition for Republican Senator Roger Marshall against Democratic nominee Adam Hamilton.
Americans for Prosperity Action, a PAC allied with the Koch brothers, did not include North Carolina in its $22 million reallocation for key Republican Senate races. Additionally, Old North Action cut $6.5 million in ad reservations last month, as noted by Semafor.
Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina announced he wouldn’t seek reelection in June 2025 after former President Trump indicated potential support for a primary challenger due to Tillis’s vote against a significant spending bill. Trump, who backed Whatley early on in the race, had worked alongside his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, during the 2024 presidential campaign.
According to Punchbowl News, the No Going Back PAC, associated with Trump, had no advertising plans for the week of October 5 in North Carolina and was ready to spend less than $90,000 in Georgia. Since September 1, Trump-backed super PACs have collectively spent over $163 million on advertising and air time.
These Trump-oriented PACs primarily allocated 40% of their budget in areas where Trump won by substantial margins in the 2024 election. In Texas, Republicans anticipated spending between $150 million and $200 million to ensure Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton doesn’t lose to Democratic nominee James Talarico, who was leading by 2.8 points according to RealClearPolling.
