Posted on 09/27/2025 2:50:55 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
Republicans in North Carolina and beyond are making a concerted effort to turn the stabbing death of a Ukrainian woman on a Charlotte commuter train into a political liability for Democratic former Gov. Roy Cooper in his bid to win a key U.S. Senate race that is still more than a year away.
GOP candidate Michael Whatley has said Cooper bears "direct responsibility" for the deadly Aug. 22 attack on Iryna Zarutska because of a commission he created in June 2020 to address racial inequity in the criminal justice system. The panel's unveiling occurred weeks following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.
But Cooper's campaign said Whatley, a recent Republican National Committee chairman, was lying about the task force. Cooper "knows North Carolinians need to be safe in their communities," the campaign wrote in a statement, and his career has included "keeping thousands of criminals off the streets and behind bars." It cites Cooper signing a 2023 law that toughened pretrial release rules.
The clash has sent early signals of just how heated the North Carolina Senate race will be. It already was anticipated to be a key 2026 Senate race for Democrats seeking to claim a Senate majority in next year's midterm elections and now could be among the most expensive Senate campaigns in U.S. history.
Democrats see the popular former governor's bid for the open North Carolina seat as one of their best pickup opportunities in a landscape that largely favors Republicans. They need four Senate seats to claim a majority.
(Excerpt) Read more at abc11.com ...
Cooper is “popular” in the Blue City ratholes of NC. Every where else he is despised.
article is wrong. The communists only need to pick up 3 seats thanks to that lunatic in Alaska.
On the bright side, Mitch’s seat should get more conservative, so that’s almost like a pickup.
“ making a concerted effort”
What effort is needed? The photos and video speak for themselves.
I hate the A-hole and delighted in the state legislature stuffing one veto after another down his throat in his last year. He tries to pass himself off as a moderate. He is anything but. He’s a hardcore BLM sympathizing leftist.
When Cooper was AG of NC, 20 years ago, he appointed Mike Nifong as DA in Durham. Nifong was just supposed to be a place holder but then decided he wanted the job for good so he ran for election. It was Nifong who used false charges of rape against the Duke lacrosse team to polarize the community and win that election. Even after it was clearly evident to everyone that the case was a shame, Cooper took far to long to step in.
Cooper came out of the Executive Mansion to march with BLM protestors. Notice how he whips off his mask so the news media makes sure to catch him doing it. Meanwhile, people were being arrested for violating his lockdown orders by ... wait for it ... protesting the lockdown orders.
What a hypocrite.
sham not shame
How exactly is this Cooper’s “direct responsibility” ?
That’s absurd.
That poor woman… SO sad. 😞
Cooper was the AG and then became the Governor so he is partly responsible for the environment that enables criminals.
Republicans pounce....
Those pouncing Republicans!
He is a former democrat governor of North Carolina and democrats donâÂÂt believe in putting criminals ion jail. What part of that is confusing?
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