Cooper, Whatley run 'cautious campaigns' in critical N.C. Senate race – Spectrum News

Cooper, Whatley run ‘cautious campaigns’ in critical N.C. Senate race  Spectrum News

The candidates in the North Carolina U.S. Senate race are running on very different messages but following similar campaign strategies. Democrat Roy Cooper’s campaign events are almost all about affordability, labeled “Make Stuff Cost Less.” The slogan is also featured heavily on his campaign website. “We have a plan to make stuff cost less and make life better for North Carolinians,” Cooper said at a recent event. In recent weeks Republican Michael Whatley has also begun focusing more on the economy in events called “Make More Keep More.” But previously most of his events were focused on crime. That’s despite surveys showing the economy is the No. 1 issue for North Carolinians.

When asked by Spectrum News in September why he has focused so much on crime, Whatley said, “I think the economy does absolutely matter. I think Roy Cooper made stuff cost more… that’s definitely an issue point we want to talk about.” What the candidates do have in common is their tightly controlled appearances. “They’re running pretty cautious campaigns, not a lot of risk-taking on either side,” said Western Carolina University Politics Professor Chris Cooper, who is not associated with Roy Cooper. Spectrum News requested one-on-one interviews with both Whatley and Cooper but neither accepted. Instead, they’ve gravitated toward interviews on Republican- and Democratic-friendly outlets. Most of their