Republican Senate Super PAC Retreats from North Carolina, Scrambles to Defend Kansas Stronghold
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The Senate Leadership Fund, the main Republican super PAC, has abandoned its expensive ad campaign in North Carolina, shifting millions to Kansas as GOP strategists panic over losing ground to Democrats ahead of the midterms.
The Senate Leadership Fund, the flagship Republican super PAC for Senate races, has abruptly pulled its advertising dollars out of North Carolina, redirecting its vast resources to Kansas in a desperate attempt to shore up vulnerable Republican incumbents, according to a source familiar with the plan. This retreat comes as GOP candidate Michael Whatley continues to trail Democratic nominee and former Governor Roy Cooper in recent polls, despite the super PAC’s wasteful spending of more than $30 million in North Carolina this cycle—money that has failed to sway voters away from progressive leadership.
In Kansas, the PAC is now forced to defend incumbent Republican Sen. Roger Marshall, who is facing an unexpectedly strong challenge from Democratic pastor Adam Hamilton. This shift highlights the GOP’s growing anxiety as even their supposed strongholds are now in play for Democrats.
“The fact that the biggest Republican Senate Super PAC took its money out of North Carolina today and put it into Kansas says all you need to know about which direction the Senate Majority is headed,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote on X, underscoring the GOP’s crumbling prospects.
This move is part of a broader Republican scramble to reallocate dwindling resources in a futile effort to cling to their shrinking Senate majority. Other conservative groups are also scaling back in North Carolina: Old North Action slashed its ad reservations by a third last month, and Americans for Prosperity Action rolled out a $22 million ad blitz for five Senate candidates—pointedly excluding Whatley, signaling a lack of confidence in his campaign.
Whatley attempted to project confidence on the radio, but the reality is clear: Republicans are on the defensive, even considering retreat in both North Carolina and Georgia, where Rep. Mike Collins is trailing Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff despite Trump’s 2024 win in the state. The GOP’s shifting priorities reveal a party in disarray as Democrats gain momentum across the map.