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All 100 of North CarolinaThe U.S. counties are on the ballot for Michael Whatley, who is running for an open Senate seat as the GOP looks to course-correct after losses in 2025.
Whatley, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee, faces former Gov. Roy Cooper in his bid to unseat Sen. Thom Tillis, a two-term Republican who decided not to seek re-election.
Whatley joined the President Donald Trump in Rocky Mount on Friday night, shortly before he flew to Phoenix to perform at AmericaFest. Republicans are also seeking to flip the state's First Congressional District, which currently includes the famed Interstate 95.
Whatley said the reception both at the rally and throughout the state has been “absolutely fantastic” and that it is important for any candidate to visit every corner of a state as expansive and diverse as North Carolina.
North Carolina Senate candidate Michael Whatley. (Eva Marie Uzcategi/Getty Images)
” conservative movement very, very strong and we have a lot of champions right now, especially when you compare us to what the Democrats are doing,” he said.
“You know, we won when we focused on the issues that concern the American people, right? President Trump said he was going to rebuild our economy, rebuild our borders and make America respected around the world again.”
“The Democrats did exactly the opposite: inflationary spending, open borders and a weak America. So we're very happy with where we are as a Conservative movement. And we're very pleased with our ability to win this election as long as we're going to focus on what voters care about.”
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Asked about Republicans losing key races last November, Whatley said his answer would be to stay focused on the issues people care about in the Tarheel State.
“We have an agenda that is focused on creating jobs and increasing wages and price reductions. We need to focus on keeping our children and our communities safe,” he said.
“And we need to make sure our men and women in uniform based in North Carolina across the country have what they need to protect our interests and allies around the world.”
Whatley was also a supporter of ICE. Operation Charlotte's Webwhich was aimed at illegal criminals in and around Charlotte and Mecklenburg County.
He told Fox News Digital that the issue of immigration is key to keeping American communities safe.
Democratic border policies, Whatley said, have turned even North Carolina into a border state — even though its furthest western city, Murphy, is 1,300 miles from Mexico.
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“There are many, many violent criminal illegals in North Carolina. Many of them are arrested. We had a law passed by the North Carolina General Assembly that required sheriffs to comply ICE Detainees and bring these criminals out,” he said.
“I’m really glad President Trump was there to make sure we get these violent criminal illegals off the streets.”
Fox News' Olivia Palumbo contributed to this report..
