The top Senate GOP-aligned super PAC is pausing its spending in North Carolina, the latest sign that Republicans are giving up hope on holding a Senate seat in a state Donald Trump won three times, as the midterm environment remains grim for the party.
The Senate Leadership Fund’s plans, confirmed by a person with knowledge of them, come as the super PAC began spending in Kansas on Friday, hoping to shore up an embattled Republican incumbent. The changes are the best use of resources as the fund seeks to help the GOP hold its Senate majority, the person said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to comment on internal discussions. Semafor first reported on the spending shake-up.
The SLF’s decision to retreat — for now — from North Carolina comes after the group spent more than $32 million there this election and originally planned to spend tens of millions more. Michael Whatley, the former Republican National Committee chairman running as a close Trump ally, has trailed significantly behind former governor Roy Cooper (D). They’re fighting to replace retiring Sen. Thom Tillis (R), who routinely distanced himself from Trump.
Starting next week, a super PAC aligned with Trump’s MAGA Inc. group will no longer have any ads booked in North Carolina, according to AdImpact, an ad-tracking firm.
DJ Griffin, a spokesman for Whatley, told The Washington Post that the campaign still believes late-deciding voters in the state go Republican and that they “feel confident” they have the resources needed to defeat Cooper.
The SLF has now booked $1.2 million in ads in Kansas, where Republican alarms have been going off as Sen. Roger Marshall falls behind his Democratic challenger, Adam Hamilton, in some polls. The group has reserved ads in both the Kansas City and Witchita markets, according to AdImpact.
The new ad calls Hamilton, the pastor of a large United Methodist church, a “two-faced extremist” and highlights his past support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
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