AILSA CHANG, HOST:
Senator Thom Tillis is not running for reelection after several high-profile disagreements with President Trump. That leaves an open Senate seat in the purple state of North Carolina. Former two-term governor Roy Cooper is expected to coast to the Democratic nomination in Tuesday's primary elections. And on the Republican side, many primary voters are looking for who would best support the president in Washington. North Carolina Newsroom's Adam Wagner reports.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: Whenever he's not working with the cases...
THOMAS D EDWARDS: Uh-huh.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: ...He works as a fireman (ph).
ADAM WAGNER, BYLINE: Thomas D. Edwards stops to hear everyone out as he heads in to cast his early vote. His polling place is at the Farm Credit Farmers Market in Wayne County, about an hour southeast of Raleigh. On his way out. Edwards does not say who he supports for the Senate, but he makes clear that Trump's backing factors into his thinking.
EDWARDS: Remember, smart people do smart things. Stupid people do stupid things. And I don't look at Mr. Trump as being a stupid man.
WAGNER: Many Republicans voting in this primary hold a similar view. They're looking for a candidate they know will support Trump, and Trump has made his choice clear. Last summer, he stepped into this race, endorsing then-Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley. In December, Whatley appeared with Trump in Rocky Mount.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
MICHAEL WHATLEY: I am going to be a fighter every day for this great state. I am going to be a conservative champion for North Carolina, and I am going to be an ally to our great president.
WAGNER: Along with Trump's endorsement, Whatley holds a major lead in fundraising in the campaign. Still, he has several primary challengers who are trying to make the case that they've shown they are actually more likely to back Trump. Those include Don Brown and Michele Morrow. Brown is a former U.S. Navy JAG officer who has defended people charged in connection with the January 6 riots, and Morrow is a former state superintendent candidate who has previously called for the execution of several prominent Democrats.
Republican voters interviewed by the North Carolina Newsroom at some polling places during early voting showed a clear preference in the race. James Huffman braved frigid temperatures to vote in Alamance County this week, about an hour northwest of Raleigh. He voted for Whatley.
JAMES HUFFMAN: I'm just looking for stability - conservative stability - and someone who is winnable.
WAGNER: Michael Bitzer, the chair of Catawba College's political science department, says for Whatley's campaign, quote, "winnable" means showing allegiance to the president.
MICHAEL BITZER: It starts with Trump and it ends with Trump. And I think the loyalty that a lot of Trump Republicans, MAGA Republicans, want from members of Congress to the president is where Whatley sees the clear indication of winning the primary.
WAGNER: That alignment with Trump could give Whatley the boost he needs in the primary, but Trump's approval ratings have started to falter in North Carolina, and Bitzer warns that might work against Whatley in November. Meanwhile, Cooper's attention is already turning towards that general election.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
ROY COOPER: I'm running for the U.S. Senate because I'm concerned about the cost that everyday families are feeling right now.
WAGNER: North Carolina voters have sent Republicans to the U.S. Senate in every election since 2010. But Cooper is well known here. He's won six consecutive statewide elections. That means this Senate seat could be in play in November. For NPR News, I'm Adam Wagner in Raleigh.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
