Republicans Cut Back Support in North Carolina and Georgia Ahead of Midterm Elections
As the midterm elections draw closer, Republican political action committees (PACs) and the Senate Leadership Fund (SLF) have decided to reduce their spending and resources allocated to North Carolina and Georgia. Instead, they are focusing their financial efforts on more securely Republican areas.
Recently, Republican committees have invested considerable resources in traditionally red states and districts, but as polling trends began to shift unfavorably for their candidates, they pulled back their support from North Carolina and Georgia. Notably, Republican Rep. Mike Collins in Georgia and North Carolina Senate candidate Michael Whatley find themselves in closely contested races, as reported by Punchbowl News.
Polling data suggests that Democratic Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff is currently leading Collins by about eight points, while former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper has a nine-point edge over Whatley, according to RealClearPolling.
After investing $30 million in advertisements for the North Carolina Senate contest, the Senate Leadership Fund halted its ad campaign there just last Friday, as reported by Semafor. Instead, the super PAC is redirecting funds into a new ad campaign in Kansas, where Republican Senator Roger Marshall is facing stiff competition from Democratic challenger Adam Hamilton. It’s notable that Kansas hasn’t elected a Democratic senator since 1939. Marshall found himself in hot water recently due to a lawsuit he filed against several hundred patients over unpaid debts, resulting in numerous arrests.
An SLF spokesperson explained that the fund’s strategy is focused on sustaining a Senate majority, asserting that this decision reflects the most efficient use of their resources.
Meanwhile, a representative for Whatley’s campaign expressed confidence in their ability to defeat Cooper, although they did not indicate whether another group would step in to fill the gap left by reduced PAC spending. Whatley’s spokesperson, DJ Griffin, pointed out an interesting observation made by Cooper about North Carolina elections, suggesting that undecided voters tend to break toward Republicans in the final stretch of the race. They feel optimistic about highlighting Whatley’s campaign messages to secure a victory come November.
It’s worth mentioning that North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis announced he would not seek reelection in June 2025 after facing pressure from Donald Trump, who threatened to support a primary challenger because of Tillis’s vote on a significant bill. Trump previously endorsed Whatley after serving as RNC chair during the 2024 presidential campaign.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer seemed pleased with SLF’s shift in spending priorities. He stated that the withdrawal of funds from North Carolina for Kansas is telling of the overall direction the Senate majority is heading.
Collins’ campaign did not respond to requests for comments regarding the evolving situation. It remains uncertain if any other organizations will step up their financial contributions in these pivotal races.
Polling numbers for Republicans have slipped since the midterm convention held in mid-September. According to RealClearPolitics, the Generic Congressional Vote currently shows Democrats at 50.6% compared to Republicans at 42.3%. Interestingly, a PBS survey indicated that over half of registered voters would support Democrats if elections were held now, while only 41% favored Republicans, with independents leaning toward Democrats by a significant margin.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) has been airing ads in states like Alaska, Iowa, Ohio, and New Hampshire but has not initiated any television campaigns supporting Whatley or Collins. In their recent finance filings, NRSC revealed spending of $3.6 million in Georgia and nearly $8 million in North Carolina on direct mail campaigns.
Furthermore, the No Going Back PAC, which aligns with Trump, has no advertising plans for North Carolina in the upcoming week and is only allocated around $90,000 for Georgia. This PAC has been involved in substantial ad spending, amounting to over $163 million since September.
On another note, the Old North Action PAC supporting Whatley has recently slashed $6.5 million from their planned ad buys for October, according to Semafor. These cuts could complicate matters for Republican candidates, particularly since Ossoff has booked more than $46 million for advertisements leading up to the election, while Collins has only secured $1.6 million.
Cooper’s campaign has also made significant advertising investments, totaling $25 million. Conversely, Republican expenditures in North Carolina have plummeted from $9.3 million in mid-September to roughly $4.3 million.
Interestingly, Trump-aligned super PACs have directed a significant portion of their funding—around 40%—to areas where Trump won by large margins in the 2024 election. For instance, in Texas, Republicans are anticipated to spend between $150 million and $200 million to fend off threats to Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is currently trailing Democratic candidate James Talarico by a small margin.
In addition, Republicans are investing heavily in Iowa and Alaska to strengthen the prospects of candidates like Iowa Rep. Ashley Hinson and Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan. In Iowa, an estimated $73 million is allocated for ads supporting Republican candidates, including Hinson, who is in a tight race against Democratic nominee Josh Turek. In Alaska, Sullivan is contending with former Democratic Representative Mary Peltola, facing potential voter confusion from another candidate sharing the same name.
In terms of ad spending, Republican groups have secured around $36.4 million in Senate ads compared to $21.6 million set aside by Democrats to support Sullivan in Alaska.
