Whatley Ad Misleads on Cooper’s Tax Record in NC Senate Race

A recent political advertisement by Republican Michael Whatley has come under scrutiny for misrepresenting the tax policies of former Governor Roy Cooper. The two are vying for North Carolina’s open U.S. Senate seat, with economic issues anticipated to be a focal point of the campaign.

Running on streaming platforms across the state, the ad claims that Cooper supports raising taxes on tips, overtime, and Social Security. In contrast, Whatley is portrayed as a candidate who will “cut taxes and make life more affordable.”

These accusations appear to be tied to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB), a Republican-sponsored budget law. While the law provided temporary tax deductions for some tips and overtime, it also established permanent tax breaks for the wealthy and cut Medicaid funding significantly. Cooper opposed the legislation, primarily due to its implications for healthcare.

In a statement last year, Cooper expressed concerns: “Groceries are higher, utilities are higher, rent is higher, childcare is higher and harder to find, and now we’re seeing the cost of health care significantly increase, or even be eliminated, by the ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ that just passed.” He also noted that Michael Whatley had expressed support for the bill.

However, Whatley’s advertisement is contradicted by Cooper’s previous endorsements. Cooper has publicly supported the elimination of taxes on tips, overtime, and Social Security benefits on multiple occasions. As Governor, he approved a bipartisan budget in 2021 that resulted in tax cuts for the vast majority of North Carolinians, a move praised by Whatley as “one of the best bills for North Carolina that we’ve ever seen.” Cooper had also signed a middle-class tax cut into law in 2019.

In the latest Public Policy Survey, Cooper leads Whatley by a narrow margin of four points in the Senate race, indicating a potentially closer contest than earlier polls suggested.

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