National Republicans are beginning to take major steps to divert resources from the North Carolina Senate race, where Republican candidate Michael Whatley has long trailed in the polls.
The Senate Leadership Fund, the leading Republican super PAC in Senate races, is pausing its advertising spending in the state, according to a source familiar with its plans.
At the same time, the super PAC is launching a seven-figure ad campaign in Kansas, where incumbent Republican Sen. Roger Marshall is facing a strong challenge from Democratic pastor Adam Hamilton, the source said.
The news, first reported by Semafor, represents a major turning point for Republicans as they seek to save their Senate majority in the upcoming midterm elections. Democrats were encouraged by the group’s decision to focus on redder territory.
“The fact that the Senate’s largest Republican Super PAC pulled its money out of North Carolina today and invested it in Kansas says everything you need to know about the direction the Senate majority is heading,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote on X.
North Carolina was once considered a premier seat for the Republican Party to defend, and the Senate Leadership Fund has already spent more than $30 million on advertising in the state this cycle. But Whatley has remained behind the Democratic candidate, former Gov. Roy Cooper, in virtually every recent poll.
Now focusing on Kansas, the group recognizes that Marshall needs serious help in a state that President Donald Trump won by 16 percentage points in 2024. Vice President JD Vance recently visited the state to hold a rally with Marshall.
There have been other warning signs for Whatley in recent weeks. Another GOP super PAC, Old North Action, cut its ad bookings in the state by about a third last month. And on Friday, the super conservative PAC Americans for Prosperity Action, which also supports him, announced a $22 million ad campaign through Election Day for five Republican Senate candidates — but not for Whatley.
Whatley dismissed concerns about outside funding, saying in a radio interview last week that he felt “very comfortable” that he had the money he needs to win.
In response to the Senate Leadership Fund’s decision, Whatley’s campaign invoked Cooper’s long-standing argument that Democrats can’t take the race for granted.
“Undecided voters who stay up late decide elections in North Carolina, and the majority of those voters typically turn Republican,” Whatley spokesman DJ Griffin said in a statement, adding that the campaign feels “confident” it has the money it needs to defeat Cooper.
Some Republicans have suggested in recent weeks that the party is considering rolling back its commitments not only in North Carolina, but also in Georgia.
In Georgia, Republican Rep. Mike Collins faces an uphill battle against Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, although Trump won the state in 2024.
This story has been updated with additional information.
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