North Carolina

Released 08/20/2026

Voters in North Carolina need to continue to see that Washington D.C. insider Michael Whatley is looking out for himself and his well-connected friends at the expense of North Carolinians.

The most important connection for voters to continue to learn about are Whatley’s ties to Harvey Lee West and West’s criminal background.

• Whatley elevated a convicted child sex offender – a man who served six years in prison for felony sex crimes against young girls – to a top role within the North Carolina Republican Party. Whatley appointed West after West’s crimes were widely known and after West raised money for Whatley’s NC GOP.

• It is important to note that West spent six years in prison for his offenses and was on the sex offender registry for more than a decade.

Keeping the race focused on North Carolina and Whatley’s record (as laid out above) and less on national politics and divisive partisan labels is critical to victory.

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