Republicans Express Concern Over Senate Contests in North Carolina and Georgia
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Party leaders say the GOP’s chances in North Carolina and Georgia are narrowing, prompting debates over resource allocation as the 2024 elections approach.
Republican officials are reassessing their strategies in two Senate races that were once viewed as essential to maintaining the party’s majority. In North Carolina, incumbent Sen. Thom Tillis urged the party to focus spending where it can secure victories, while in Georgia, Rep. Mike Collins, who is challenging Sen. Jon Ossoff, warned that his campaign still needs additional support.
"You spend the money where we get Republicans elected," Tillis said, emphasizing the need for targeted investment.
Both Collins and Michael Whatley, the GOP candidate for Tillis’s seat, trail in recent polls. A GOP super-PAC, Old North Action, reduced its ad reservations in North Carolina by roughly one-third, a move interpreted as waning confidence. Whatley, however, told a radio interview that he expects sufficient resources to finish the campaign.
"I feel very comfortable we are going to have the resources that we need over the next 42 days to prosecute this campaign and win," Whatley said.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, speaking at a fundraiser for Collins in Atlanta, said the party is building a defensive “wall” around its candidates and highlighted the need for more funding in large, expensive states.
"We are erecting a big wall around all of our candidates," Thence noted.
National Republican Committee chair Tim Scott dismissed suggestions that the party was deprioritizing the two races, calling such claims "hogwash" on social media. Meanwhile, Sen. John Cornyn questioned the wisdom of continuing to pour money into contests he views as unwinnable, suggesting resources might be better deployed elsewhere.
"I don’t think there is a lot that can be done… it will be a matter of where the resources should be deployed," Cornyn said.
Despite internal doubts, the GOP has already spent $7.9 million in coordinated advertising in North Carolina and $3.6 million in Georgia through the end of August, and Thune’s recent Atlanta fundraiser raised over $400,000 for Collins.
Democratic incumbents Ossoff and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s opponent, former Gov. Roy Cooper, remain confident, warning against premature complacency.
"We’re still seeing significant Republican super PAC activity," Ossoff told CNN, adding that his campaign is preparing for a competitive race.
The two contests are now viewed as pivotal as the Senate map tightens, with both parties monitoring polling trends and fundraising flows in the final weeks before the election.