Watley attacks Cooper on transgender policies and tariffs on campaign stops in North Carolina

Republican nominee Michael Watley campaigned in Pittsboro on Friday and used stump remarks to criticize Democratic nominee Roy Cooper’s record on social issues and trade, the program reported.

Watley accused Cooper of supporting "a very destructive transgender ideology," criticized vetoes of certain bills, and linked tariff-driven cost increases to household hardships. On the campaign trail, he told supporters the policy record of his opponent had real economic consequences for farmers and families.

The program noted Roy Cooper was campaigning elsewhere with tobacco farmers and cited a Carolina Journal poll the Watley campaign said showed a double-digit deficit for Cooper. The segment emphasized the openness of the seat—incumbent Tom Tillis is not running—and underscored that both campaigns continued heavy travel and outreach as the election approaches.