Republicans pull North Carolina campaign spending as Democrats lead polls

With the US midterm elections about a month away and control of Congress at stake, North Carolina has become a central battleground. Republicans have pulled the plug on campaign spending in the state, while Democrats hold a double-digit lead in the polls. The race is being fought mainly over the cost of living.

A state that could decide the Senate North Carolina is described as Blue Ridge, red country and purple politics, a special and pivotal place where the fight is not for one seat alone but for the Senate and the balance of power in America. Things are tight in this corner of the Bible Belt, and those with the least are giving the most. Local voices say they have never had it easy. The pressure is linked to war in Iran and its impact on the cost of living. One pastor, Charlene, says young people are struggling for food and that an air conditioning unit was stolen from her church. She speaks of single mothers and children arriving at church with no shoes and dirty socks, and of the struggle to support a family on one income. She shows the disparity between rich and poor, from a mini mansion to a mobile home.

Democrats and Republicans campaign on different ground At a Democratic campaign barbecue, the economy comes up often. Attendees ask whether they are meant to survive, and one says they want the Democrats to obliterate the Republicans. Democrats pin much of the blame on Donald Trump. They call him a huge factor and say he has made himself a factor. One Democratic view is that Trump wants people to pretend he is on the ballot, and that this suits Democrats because his approval ratings are in the toilet.

Twelve minutes up the road, Republicans hold a red, white and barbecue event. Some attendees say they do not do politics, only food, but they are keen to talk policy rather than the president. They describe the Republican Party as the party of law and order, of keeping bad guys in jails and of secure borders. They also link Christianity and conservative values. One attendee calls Donald Trump the greatest president of their lifetime.

The candidates and the money Michael Whatley, who helped run Trump's campaigns, is named as the Republican candidate. He is up against Roy Cooper, a two-term Democratic governor. The campaign includes claims that grocery prices, petrol prices, housing prices and inflation are down, and that campaign spending was headed for a record-breaking billion dollars. A Republican line says Roy Cooper has always put his party first. Republicans are now pulling money from North Carolina despite a presidential visit, and their hopes of retaining the seat are fading.

Voting rules and turnout Beneath the chimes at the state capitol, there is a quieter concern. Rules on mail-in ballots and voter ID have changed, raising fears that some votes will be discounted or that there will be an echo of the past. In 2013, Reverend William Barber led civil rights campaigns in the state. He is less visible now but still campaigning, and he is followed to a meeting of activists. Barber says Trump is a symptom of the problem, not just the problem, and notes that 70 million people voted for him. He urges the marginalised to vote and says one generation wins some battles while another generation has ballots yet to win.

In 2024, Trump won North Carolina by 180,000 votes, but an estimated one million low-income voters did not turn out. The swing vote lies in the small towns along the tracks.