Republican U.S. Senate candidate Michael Whatley held a news conference in Harrisburg on Friday, pledging to make public safety his focus if elected in November.
Whatley was joined by Republican sheriffs and state lawmakers at The Gathering on Main, where he said his campaign is focused on supporting law enforcement and keeping children safe in North Carolina.
He also criticized his opponent, Democrat Roy Cooper, accusing him of pursuing policies that are too soft on crime.
"He's appointed magistrates and judges who man that revolving door and keep it rolling," Whatley said. "And of course, he released 4,200 criminals. 4,200 criminals."
A Cooper campaign spokesperson pushed back in a statement:
“While Roy spent his career putting rapists and violent criminals behind bars and signing tough on crime and stricter bail and pretrial release laws as governor, Michael Whatley spent his appointing a convicted child sex predator who served time in jail to a powerful position within the North Carolina Republican Party and pushing to release prisoners during the pandemic.”
During Whatley’s speech, he showed the crowd photos of convicted criminals, including DeCarlos Brown, who was convicted in the murder of Iryna Zarutka on the Blue Line light rail last August, to emphasize his concerns about crime in North Carolina.
Whatley noted supporting local law enforcement goes hand in hand with strengthening border security.
"And it also goes back to the border. You know, I went down to the border three times in 2024 during the campaign. I went back last year, and what we have seen from Customs and Border Protection, the steps that they've taken to secure our border, fentanyl deaths are down dramatically in North Carolina."
Whatley also highlighted endorsements from the North Carolina Troopers Association and the North Carolina Police Benevolent Association.
A new Public Policy Polling survey this week found Cooper leading Whatley by four percentage points, 48% to 44%.
