A new editorial from Eastern NC Now is putting a spotlight on the Republican base’s opposition to Michael Whatley being hand-picked by the “party establishment.” With the editorial calling Whatley “a longtime DC operative…who has little appeal to the average voter,” it’s clear even GOP voters don’t want a DC insider as their nominee for the U.S. Senate.

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Eastern NC Now: Is NCGOP making same fatal mistake as VA GOP in leadership imposed nominees?

November 5, 2025

• The Virginia GOP losses this election have been attributed to the party leadership trying to select candidates from on high and to clear primaries for their chosen candidates. This not only resulted in some weak candidates, but also a lower than expected turnout of GOP voters and conservative independents.
• Unfortunately, we are seeing the same high handed maneuvers here in North Carolina, with the party establishment trying to dictate who our nominees will be instead of leaving it to GOP primary voters to make the selections. The party establishment has set up behind Michael Whatley, a longtime DC operative and partner in a DC lobbying and public relations firm who has little appeal to the average voter, as our US Senate nominee and head of the ticket. 
• Again, we have potential candidates who would be much stronger at the ballot box than the one who this group selected, but it does not look like any of those other potential candidates will take on the backroom boys.

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