Democratic Senate nominee Roy Cooper on Thursday brought his campaign to Hendersonville, where he delivered remarks on the economy and Hurricane Helene recovery.
More than 200 people turned out to see the former governor, who faces former Republican National Committee chairman Michael Whatley in the fall.
Taking the stage at Oklawaha Brewery, Cooper acknowledged that it’s been years since North Carolina elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate.
But he said that if his party retakes the chamber in November, securing more funding for Helene recovery and making life more affordable will be at the top of the agenda.
“We can roll back these tariffs,” Cooper told the crowd, referring to the Trump administration’s tariffs on dozens of countries. “You know, Congress can take back its constitutional authority on trade and tariffs and roll them back and help these small businesses and consumers who are getting the brunt of the cost on this.”
Cooper’s campaign slogan is “Make Stuff Cost Less.” That message resonated with Craig Wilson, a Cooper supporter who lives in Transylvania County and attended Thursday’s event.
The 76-year-old Democrat said he opposes the Trump administration’s tariffs and the war in Iran, which have contributed to higher prices at the gas pump and the grocery store.
“The Democrats have to get power in the Senate and provide a check,” Wilson said. “But we’ve got to have some answers — what are we going to do different?”
Cooper also noted that the federal government has only reimbursed North Carolina for about 15% of the roughly $60 billion in damage caused by Helene. As he has at other recent events in the region, Cooper criticized Whatley for not calling on the Trump administration to provide more funding in its most recent budget request.
“This administration promised a lot. Michael Whatley promised a lot,” Cooper told reporters after the event. “They’ve delivered very little. And when I get to Washington, I’m going to work on both sides of the aisle to make sure that western North Carolina gets more recovery.”
A recent Elon University poll shows Cooper holds an 11-point lead over Whatley among likely voters.
In a statement, the Whatley campaign took aim at what it described as Cooper’s “failed record” on health care costs, energy prices and taxes as governor.
“Candidate Cooper is once again bashing Governor Cooper’s failed record of higher costs for North Carolina families,” Whatley campaign spokesperson DJ Griffin said. “If Candidate Cooper wants to 'make stuff cost less,' he oughta look in the mirror and have a prayer meeting with Governor Cooper.”
Election Day is Tuesday November 3.
