The Senate Leadership Fund is redirecting money from North Carolina to Kansas as the fight for majority changes course, stepping down in one contest while sending millions to another. Four individuals with direct knowledge of the plan confirmed the move Friday, requesting anonymity when discussing internal strategy.
The funding choices show a lack of faith that Michael Whatley, who led the Republican National Committee and was picked by President Donald Trump to run for Senate in North Carolina, can defeat Democratic former Gov. Roy Cooper. The fund has set aside almost $8.2 million for advertisements to back Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall over the coming month, according to AdImpact.
Marshall’s Spending
Marshall has reserved another $2.3 million and is supported by another $500,000 from other groups. By comparison, Marshall’s challenger Adam Hamilton, the leader of the nation’s largest United Methodist Church, has reserved just $590,000 in advertising and receives only a little more than $556,000 in outside help.
Marshall won his first Senate race by more than 11 percentage points in 2020, the year Democrat Joe Biden defeated Trump for president.
The North Carolina Retreat
The Senate Leadership Fund had planned to spend $18 million in North Carolina over the next month, according to reservations tracked by AdImpact; the group has already spent about $32 million there. Trump won North Carolina by just over 3 percentage points in 2024.
Since 2015, North Carolina has had two Republican senators, while Cooper was elected twice to the governor’s office and governed from 2017 to 2025.
Hamilton’s Endorsements
On Friday, former Kansas Governor Mike Hayden, a Republican, said he was backing Hamilton. Bill Graves, a Republican who served as governor of Kansas, had already done the same, making his endorsement on Sept. 23.
A representative from the Senate Majority PAC, which is the Democrats’ spending arm, told reporters that “Republicans are scrambling because they know” Hamilton can win.
Whatley’s Response
In a statement, Jeff Allen, who manages Cooper’s campaign, said they continue to concentrate on “building a campaign to earn every vote.”.
Whatley’s campaign spokesman DJ Griffin said, “We feel confident we have the resources to highlight Career Politician Roy Cooper’s 40 Years of Failures and win in November.”
The Money Chasing Weakness
Republicans appear to be directing their energy toward races they consider most difficult. Marshall is holding onto a seat he claimed by more than 11 points in 2020, while Hamilton finds himself up against a well-funded religious leader who offers him almost no assistance from outside. Meanwhile, in North Carolina, Whatley is competing against a popular governor in a state Trump barely carried two years ago.
| Race | Republican Candidate | Outside Spending Reserved |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas | Roger Marshall | Nearly $8.2 million (SLF advertising) + $2.3 million (Marshall) + $500,000 (other groups) |
| North Carolina | Michael Whatley | $18 million planned, $32 million already spent |
The difference is plain to see. One group backs Marshall with close to $11 million, whereas Hamilton can barely reach six figures. Whatley has $18 million planned, yet he runs against a governor who has already served nearly a decade.
What This Means for the Midterms
The change shows a party that has shifted its focus from targeting Democratic seats to defending ones Trump won comfortably two years ago. The cash is following weakness, not strength.
Thomas Beaumont filed PBS’s report from Des Moines, Iowa, while Associated Press reporters John Hanna contributed from Topeka, Kan., and Steve Peoples added reporting from New York.
Where the paper stands
The paper backs neither side’s current funding choice and instead backs a Senate Leadership Fund that picks races based on individual freedom, small business, and avoiding concentrations of power, not on a shifting national game of favors.
The Senate Leadership Fund is chasing weakness, not strength. Marshall is defending a seat he won by more than 11 percentage points, while Hamilton faces a well-funded opponent with almost no outside help. In North Carolina, Whatley is running against a popular governor in a state Trump barely carried two years ago, and the fund has spent $32 million already.
The pattern is clear: money follows weakness, not strength. The paper wants candidates judged on individual freedom, small business, and avoiding concentrations of power, not on a national game of favors.
Key Facts
- Senate Leadership Fund reserved nearly $8.2 million for Marshall (advertising)
- Marshall has reserved another $2.3 million, plus $500,000 from other groups
- Hamilton has reserved $590,000 and gets $556,000 in outside help
- Whatley’s fund had planned $18 million for North Carolina, spent $32 million
- Trump won North Carolina by just over 3 percentage points in 2024
- Marshall won his first Senate race by more than 11 percentage points in 2020
Source material: “AP report: Senate Republicans move cash from North Carolina to Kansas as battle for majority shifts,” PBS.
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