By Charles Creitz
Fox News
Published March 3, 2026 8:44pm EST
前共和党全国委员会（RNC）主席迈克尔·惠特利（Michael Whatley）和前北卡罗来纳州州长罗伊·库珀（Roy Cooper）分别获得共和党和民主党提名，将角逐即将退休的共和党参议员汤姆·蒂利斯（Thom Tillis）在北卡罗来纳州的席位。
来自布恩（Boone）的惠特利和来自纳什维尔（Nashville）的库珀在这场对共和党州长竞选和民主党总统竞选都极为不利的州级竞选中被大幅看好。
库珀的对手包括商人达里尔·法罗（Daryl Farrow）、科技行业顾问贾斯汀·杜斯（Justin Dues）（两人均曾是美国众议院候选人）、牧师奥里克·奎克（Orrick Quick）以及多名长期参选者。
共和党人迈克尔·惠特利（左）；民主党人罗伊·库珀（右）。
（ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images；Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images）
惠特利的对手是退休海军军法署官员唐·布朗（Don Brown），他曾挑战北卡罗来纳州共和党众议员马克·哈里斯（Mark Harris）。另一位主要共和党候选人是前韦克县学区委员会候选人米歇尔·莫罗（Michele Morrow）。
移民问题是此次竞选的核心议题，惠特利多次抨击库珀反复否决罗利州议会共和党多数派提出的法案，这些法案本要求地方层面配合美国移民与海关执法局（ICE）。
“如果罗伊·库珀没有否决要求治安官执行ICE拘留令的法案，这些人就不会在街上（违法犯罪），”惠特利表示。
去年，ICE与北卡罗来纳州本地人、边境巡逻队指挥官格雷戈里·博维诺（Gregory Bovino）在夏洛特和三角区（注：指北卡州立大学等高校集中区域）的行动中抓获了至少120名非法移民。
“不幸的是，特朗普政府不得不进入夏洛特这样的城市清理治安。如果州和地方官员像关心非法移民倡导者那样关心他们的公民，情况会好得多，”惠特利当时补充道。
在库珀八年任期内，他至少否决了三项由共和党多数派立法机构起草的涉及ICE合作的法案。
摇摆州民主党人在关键参议院竞选中因对恶性非法移民犯罪长期沉默面临压力
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2019年8月，库珀否决了现任众议院议长德斯汀·霍尔（Destin Hall，R-Lenoir）提出的法案，该法案要求治安官执行ICE拘留令并将嫌疑人拘留至移交联邦当局。
据报道，库珀称该法案试图“用恐惧分裂北卡罗来纳州”，但该法案最终作为扩大私立学校券计划的一部分获得通过。
库珀进行了反击，其发言人告诉福克斯新闻数字版，韦克、梅克伦堡和达勒姆县的治安官均反对共和党立法，并支持他的否决行为。另有八名治安官也支持库珀的否决。
“罗伊·库珀是唯一一位职业生涯致力于起诉暴力罪犯并将数千名罪犯关押入狱的候选人。众多北卡罗来纳州治安官当时公开反对该立法，因为（法案）缺乏资源；而华盛顿特区内部人士、大石油游说者迈克尔·惠特利通过支持削减地方执法部门资源，使这一问题雪上加霜，”发言人表示。
这场竞选将开启一场高风险的秋季大选。惠特利希望保持共和党对该席位的控制，而库珀若胜选可能会危及共和党参议院多数派的地位。
参议员汤姆·蒂利斯（R-NC）在华盛顿特区美国国会大厦参加参议院共和党人午餐会。
参议院预计将审议《财政责任法案》，该法案由白宫和众议院共和党人谈判达成，旨在将债务上限提高至2025年并避免联邦违约。众议院昨晚以314-117票的两党投票通过了该法案。
（Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images）
上一次民主党人占据北卡罗来纳州美国参议院席位是在2009-2015年，当时是参议员凯·哈根（Kay Hagan），后来蒂利斯击败了她。
在此之前，饱受丑闻困扰的副总统候选人约翰·爱德华兹（John Edwards）与共和党人伊丽莎白·多尔（Elizabeth Dole）（1996年共和党总统候选人鲍勃·多尔的妻子）共同分享了该州的参议院席位。
查尔斯·克里茨（Charles Creitz）是福克斯新闻数字版记者，2013年加入福克斯新闻担任撰稿人和制作助理，负责报道媒体、政治和文化领域新闻。他是宾夕法尼亚州人，毕业于天普大学，获广播新闻学士学位。新闻线索可发送至 charles.creitz@fox.com。
Former RNC chairman and ex-governor secure GOP and Democratic nominations respectively in contest that could determine Senate control
By Charles Creitz
Fox News
Published March 3, 2026 8:44pm EST
Former Republican National Committee chairman Michael Whatley and former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper have secured the Republican and Democratic nominations respectively to succeed retiring Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C.
Whatley, of Boone, and Cooper, of Nashville, were heavily favored to win their contests in a state that has been tough for Republicans at the gubernatorial level and for Democrats at the presidential level.
Cooper faced businessman Daryl Farrow and technology sector consultant Justin Dues — both prior candidates for U.S. House — along with Pastor Orrick Quick and several perennial candidates.
Republican Michael Whatley, left; Democrat Roy Cooper, right. (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images; Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images)(ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images; Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Whatley faced retired Navy JAG officer Don Brown, who previously ran for Congress against Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C. Another major GOP candidate was former Wake County school board candidate Michele Morrow.
Immigration has been a key issue in the race, as Whatley has hammered Cooper for repeatedly vetoing bills from Raleigh’s state legislative Republican majority that would have compelled local cooperation with ICE.
“If Roy Cooper had not vetoed legislation that would have forced sheriffs to honor the ICE detainers, then these people would not have been on the street,” Whatley said.
ICE, along with Tarheel State-native Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino, captured at least 120 illegal immigrants in Charlotte and the Triangle during operations last year.
“It’s unfortunate that the Trump administration has to go into a city like Charlotte and help to clean up the city. It would be great if the state and the local officials were to be as concerned for their citizens as they were for the illegal immigration advocates that they’re pushing,” Whatley added at the time.
Cooper vetoed at least three bills during his eight-year tenure dealing with ICE cooperation that were drafted by the GOP-majority legislature.
SWING-STATE DEM IN CRUCIAL SENATE RACE FACING HEAT FOR WEEKS LONG SILENCE ON HEINOUS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CRIME
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In August 2019, Cooper vetoed a bill from current House Speaker Destin Hall, R-Lenoir, that would have required sheriffs to honor ICE detainers and hold suspects until they could be transferred to the feds.
Cooper reportedly said the bill was trying to use “fear to divide North Carolina,” but the effort eventually succeeded as part of a package expanding private-school vouchers.
Cooper has pushed back, with a spokesman telling Fox News Digital that sheriffs in Wake, Mecklenburg and Durham counties all opposed Republicans’ legislation – and backed his own move to veto them. Eight other sheriffs backed Cooper’s veto.
“Roy Cooper is the only candidate who spent his career prosecuting violent criminals and keeping thousands of them behind bars, and numerous North Carolina sheriffs spoke out against this legislation at the time because of a lack of resources; a problem that Washington, D.C. insider and Big Oil lobbyist Michael Whatley has made worse because of his support for cuts to local law enforcement,” the spokesman said.
The race sets up a high-stakes fall general election, where Whatley hopes to maintain Republicans’ grip on the seat, and a Cooper win could throw the Senate’s Republican majority into jeopardy.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) departs from a luncheon with Senate Republicans at the U.S. Capitol Building on June 01, 2023 in Washington, DC. The Senate is expected to take up The Fiscal Responsibility Act, legislation negotiated between the White House and House Republicans to raise the debt ceiling until 2025 and avoid a federal default. The House passed the bill last night with a bipartisan vote of 314-117. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)(Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
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The last time a Democrat held a North Carolina U.S. Senate seat was from 2009–2015 with Sen. Kay Hagan, whom Tillis eventually defeated.
Before that, scandal-plagued vice presidential candidate John Edwards split the state’s representation with Republican Elizabeth Dole, the wife of 1996 GOP presidential nominee Bob Dole.
Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital.
He joined Fox News in 2013 as a writer and production assistant.
Charles covers media, politics and culture for Fox News Digital.
Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. Story tips can be sent to charles.creitz@fox.com.
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