Former Republican National Committee member Michael Whatley and Democrat Roy Cooper are expected to emerge as their party’s respective nominees to advance to the general election for the open U.S. Senate seat in North Carolina.

President Donald Trump helped clear the primary field for Whatley following Republican North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis’ retirement announcement in July.

“Roy Cooper’s pro-criminal cashless bail, pretrial release, and far-left appointees turned North Carolina’s justice system into a revolving door for violent offenders,” Whatley campaign senior advisor Danielle Alvarez said in a statement shared with the Daily Caller News Foundation (DCNF). “His dangerous record continues to haunt our state—just look at Iryna Zarutska, murdered aboard a Charlotte train by a repeat offender released by one of Cooper’s judicial appointees.”

“As Cooper’s legacy continues to endanger every North Carolinian, it’s even more clear that Cooper belongs nowhere near the U.S. Senate,” Alvarez added.

One repeat offender highlighted in the campaign’s “Mugshot Mondays” series is Sanchez Nicholson. The 30-year-old was arrested and released 33 times in Mecklenburg County before allegedly fatally shooting an individual in September. Nicholson was charged with first-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a felon. Previously, he had been arrested for attempted murder on two separate occasions but was allowed to remain free, according to Republican North Carolina Representative Mark Harris.

Whatley has also sought to tie Cooper’s criminal justice policies to the fatal stabbing of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte light rail train in August. Decarlos Brown Jr., the suspected killer, had 14 prior arrests in Mecklenburg County and was out of prison on cashless bail for a misdemeanor offense when he allegedly stabbed Zarutska to death. Brown reportedly has schizophrenia and was homeless.

The North Carolina legislature called for the elimination of cash bail for Class I, II, and III misdemeanors except when the suspect poses a safety risk. Brown, the suspect in Zarutska’s murder, was released from jail in January after being charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor and was freed on a “written promise to appear.”

In 2021, Governor Cooper released roughly one-eighth of the state’s prison population—about 3,500 individuals—following a lawsuit from the North Carolina NAACP regarding COVID-19 conditions in state prisons.

Cooper’s campaign highlighted legislation he signed into law in 2023 that set stricter bail requirements in the state. The North Carolina Democrat served as governor from 2017 to 2025.

“Roy Cooper is the only candidate who spent his career prosecuting violent criminals and keeping thousands of them behind bars as attorney general, and signing tough-on-crime laws and stricter bail and pretrial release rules as governor,” a Cooper campaign spokesperson said. “DC insider and Big Oil lobbyist Michael Whatley is desperate to distract from his support for cuts to law enforcement that make North Carolinians less safe.”

North Carolina is widely regarded as a must-win state for Democrats in their long-shot bid to retake control of the Senate during the midterms. Democrats view the race as one of the top flip opportunities given Cooper’s high name recognition and track record of winning statewide contests. Republicans are also expected to spend aggressively to defend the open seat.

Early analysis from the nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the contest as a “toss-up.”

Whatley reported the highest fundraising haul of any Republican running for Senate during the third fundraising quarter, which runs from July to September. His campaign account and the Whatley Victory Committee raised nearly $6 million despite entering the race less than three months ago.

Cooper also touted a massive $14.5 million haul for his campaign’s first fundraising quarter.

The race is widely expected to be among the most expensive Senate contests in history.

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https://dailycaller.com/2025/10/20/michael-whatley-roy-cooper-north-carolina-senate-crime-mughsot-mondays/