On the first day of early voting, North Carolinians are reading about how DC insider and Big Oil lobbyist Michael Whatley has spent his entire career enriching himself and his special interest buddies. As North Carolinians head to the polls, they are learning all about the “stocks [Whatley] holds in pharmaceutical, oil, technology and other companies” as he tries to go back to DC where he can vote on issues that impact his bottom line.

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• He began as a law clerk in Charlotte before taking a job in Washington at the second Bush administration’s Department of Energy and then became chief of staff for Sen. Elizabeth Dole. Following his stint working for Dole, he worked as an oil lobbyist. 

• In 2024, he was tasked with chairing the national party through the presidential election, where he made more than $714,000 that year, his Senate financial disclosure report states. Combined with other income in 2024, Whatley made over $1 million. That does not include stocks he holds in pharmaceutical, oil, technology and other companies. 

• Whatley’s campaign website offers no information about his campaign platform nor any upcoming events. 

• “You can’t find where Whatley stands on anything,” said Don Brown, one of the other Republican candidates.

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