Michael Whatley pitched eliminating taxes on tips, overtime and Social Security at a Concord campaign stop Tuesday, Oct. 13. A new poll shows him trailing Democrat Roy Cooper by 14 points in the U.S. Senate race.

The SurveyUSA poll conducted for WRAL and WSOC-TV found Cooper, the former governor, leading 54% to 40% among likely voters. Five percent were undecided. The poll, conducted Oct. 7–11, sampled 643 likely voters and carried a credibility interval of five points.

In the greater Charlotte area, Cooper led by six points. Among independents statewide, he led 59% to 28%, according to WSOC-TV.

Whatley, the former Republican National Committee co-chair, framed the race around pocketbook issues at the Concord event.

"Roy Cooper never saw a tax he didn't want to raise," Whatley told supporters, as first reported by WCNC. "I've never seen a tax I didn't want to cut."

The Concord visit came as the Senate Leadership Fund, a Republican super PAC that had pledged $71 million for Whatley's campaign, pulled its remaining advertising money after spending about $30 million. The group redirected funds to other states where margins are tighter, including Kansas, WRAL reported.

Whatley's campaign had no campaign-financed television ads reserved beyond the week of Oct. 8, according to ad-tracking firm AdImpact. Cooper had outraised Whatley roughly three to one: $35 million to $11.3 million as of the most recent federal filing on June 30, with $20.7 million in the bank compared to Whatley's $3.5 million.

On the Democratic side, WinSenate, a super PAC connected to Senate Majority PAC, canceled $1.1 million in ad support for Cooper but still had $18.8 million in ads scheduled through Election Day, according to NC Newsline.

Whatley's campaign spokesman DJ Griffin said in a statement to WRAL that Whatley has held nearly 400 campaign events statewide and predicted the race would tighten before Election Day.

A Cooper campaign spokesperson countered that Cooper cut taxes for working families and seniors as governor and accused Whatley of lobbying for utility companies while pushing policies that raised health care costs.

The Cook Political Report shifted the race from "Lean Democrat" to "Likely Democrat" on Oct. 6, NC Political News reported. The seat is being vacated by Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, who is not seeking re-election. North Carolina last elected a Democratic U.S. senator in 2008.

Catawba College political scientist Michael Bitzer told WRAL the lead has defied expectations. He said he and other analysts had expected Cooper's margin to shrink into a typical North Carolina finish within a poll's margin of error, but that does not appear to be happening.

The SurveyUSA poll also found 51% of North Carolinians said their financial standing had gotten worse since the 2024 elections. Only 17% said it had improved. President Donald Trump's approval rating in the state stood at 37%.

In-person early voting in Cabarrus County begins Thursday, Oct. 15, at four locations across the county, according to the Independent Tribune. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.