The political battle over North Carolina’s future entered a new, combative phase this week as both parties sharpened their attacks on core issues like health care and public safety, setting the stage for a heated Senate race that could have national implications. Former Governor Roy Cooper, a Democrat now vying for a U.S. Senate seat, found himself at the center of a storm on September 19, 2025, as congressional Republicans advanced a sweeping tax and spending bill that he says puts Medicaid expansion—and the health of thousands of North Carolinians—in jeopardy. Meanwhile, Republicans ramped up their law-and-order messaging, with Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) launching a high-profile ad campaign accusing Cooper of being "dangerously soft on crime."
At a roundtable event focused on health care costs and Medicaid, one of his first major appearances since launching his Senate campaign, Cooper didn’t mince words. He called the Republican-led bill a direct threat to one of his proudest achievements as governor: the expansion of Medicaid in North Carolina. "It doesn’t have anything to do with waste, fraud and abuse," Cooper insisted, pushing back on GOP arguments that the legislation was about trimming government excess. "They were creating this … so they could give people tax breaks." According to reporting from The News & Observer, Cooper’s remarks underscored his belief that the bill’s real aim is to benefit the wealthy at the expense of vulnerable families.
Cooper’s criticism was pointedly directed at his likely Republican opponent, Michael Whatley, the former chair of the Republican National Committee. Whatley has described the bill as "the embodiment of our agenda," a phrase he’s used to rally the party base and signal that Republicans are committed to fiscal conservatism and tax relief. The contrast between the two candidates couldn’t be sharper: Cooper touts Medicaid expansion as a signature accomplishment, while Whatley embraces a platform that critics say could unravel it.
The roundtable wasn’t just a political event—it was a gathering of voices from across North Carolina’s health care landscape. Kody Kinsley, who served as Cooper’s health secretary, painted a dire picture of what could happen if the bill becomes law, describing a "ticking time bomb of health care costs for individuals, right around the corner." The sense of urgency was echoed by Dr. Michael Baca-Atlas, a Raleigh-based family physician, who warned, "We will lose patients" who have come to his practice thanks to Medicaid expansion. For many in the room, the stakes were deeply personal: a child care business owner and a mother of a child with cerebral palsy shared their fears about losing essential coverage.
But as Democrats focused on health care, Republicans were busy shifting the conversation to crime—a strategy that’s gaining traction nationally. On the same day as Cooper’s roundtable, Senator Tom Cotton’s leadership PAC unveiled a blistering 30-second ad tying Cooper’s policies to the killing of Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old woman stabbed to death in Charlotte. The ad, backed by a six-figure media buy, accuses Cooper of being "dangerously soft on crime," a message designed to resonate with voters anxious about public safety.
Brian Colas, Cotton’s campaign adviser, told POLITICO, "We think crime is going to be a major issue in the midterms. And Sen. Cotton will spend millions to highlight Democrats who took soft-on-crime positions when they thought it was politically popular." The GOP is betting that linking Democrats to high-profile crimes—even as violent crime rates have fallen nationwide—will pay political dividends. The viral spread of the video documenting Zarutska’s death has only intensified Republican efforts to make crime a central campaign issue.
Cooper’s team, however, has pushed back hard against these attacks. Jordan Monaghan, a Cooper campaign aide, told POLITICO, "This ad is wrong. Roy Cooper spent his career prosecuting violent criminals as attorney general, keeping thousands of them behind bars and signing tougher bail laws. DC insider Michael Whatley and his Washington allies are spreading lies because they know Whatley’s support for cuts to local and state law enforcement make North Carolinians less safe." According to Monaghan, multiple media outlets have rated the claims in the ad as false, and he pointed to Cooper’s record of prosecuting violent offenders and enacting stricter bail laws as evidence of his commitment to public safety.
The facts bear out some of Cooper’s defense. While he did establish a Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice, his campaign notes that the group’s first recommendations were submitted only after the release of Decarlos Brown Jr., the man accused of murdering Zarutska. Cooper also signed a 2023 bill designed to create stricter bail rules—a move that complicates the Republican narrative of leniency.
Still, Republicans aren’t letting up. NRSC spokeswoman Joanna Rodriguez told reporters, "Cooper enacted bail reform shrouded under the umbrella of criminal justice. But voters are waking up to the reality that he enabled this kind of criminal activity." The Trump administration has also weighed in, deploying troops to cities like Los Angeles and Washington to demonstrate a tough-on-crime posture, and signaling plans to do the same in Memphis. Earlier this month, former President Trump blamed Zarutska’s killing on Cooper, stating, "The blood of this innocent woman can literally be seen dripping from the killer’s knife, and now her blood is on the hands of the Democrats who refuse to put bad people in jail, including Former Disgraced Governor and ‘Wannabe Senator’ Roy Cooper."
The dueling narratives—Democrats warning of health care disaster, Republicans sounding alarms on crime—reflect a broader national trend. Both parties are seeking to define the terms of the 2025 midterms, and North Carolina has emerged as a key battleground. For Cooper, the fight is about preserving Medicaid expansion and defending his record as a prosecutor. For Whatley and his allies, it’s about tapping into voter anxieties over crime and government spending.
The stakes, as everyone involved seems to agree, couldn’t be higher. With Medicaid coverage for thousands hanging in the balance and public safety dominating the airwaves, North Carolinians are being asked to choose between competing visions for their state’s future. The outcome of this contest will not only shape the lives of millions in North Carolina but could also serve as a bellwether for national politics in the years ahead.
As the campaign season heats up, both sides are digging in for a long, bruising fight—one that will test not just the candidates, but the very direction of North Carolina itself.