Democrats are hoping well being care shall be a successful concern throughout the 2026 midterm elections and see North Carolina as the highest potential pickup alternative of their long-shot play to regain management of the Senate.
They suppose Cooper’s document as governor — working with and pressuring the GOP-dominated Legislature throughout two phrases till he might increase Medicaid — makes him the proper messenger.
In his marketing campaign launch video, Cooper previewed what’s going to possible be a standard line of assault. He accused Republicans of “ripping away our health care” and threatening Medicare and Social Safety “just to give tax breaks to billionaires.”
In his first tv interview after saying his candidacy, Cooper made it clear he needs to concentrate on Medicaid and affordability.
“We expanded health care to more than 670,000 North Carolinians. We were able to put a plan in place that helps address the high cost of living for North Carolinians by eliminating $4 billion in medical debt for 2 million North Carolinians,” Cooper advised Rachel Maddow.
“We knew we had accomplished something, getting health insurance to people who had never had it before. Now, Washington Republicans are going to strip it away. I think that is such a contrast in this race,” he added.
Well being care looms over the race — possible between Cooper and Republican Nationwide Committee Chair Michael Whatley, who has President Trump’s endorsement — partly as a result of incumbent Sen. Thom Tillis (R) shouldn’t be working.
Tillis mentioned he would retire slightly than vote for Trump’s huge tax lower and spending laws. He referred to as the laws “devastating” and was one in all solely three Republicans to vote towards the invoice after saying it could “betray the very promise” Trump made about not touching Medicaid.
The laws is projected to push about 10 million low-income folks off their medical health insurance over the subsequent decade.
Well being coverage analysis group KFF estimates 520,000 North Carolinians will lose their medical health insurance due to proposed modifications to Medicaid and ObamaCare change well being plans, and if enhanced subsidies expire on the finish of 2025.
Brad Woodhouse, a longtime Democratic strategist and president of the advocacy group Shield Our Care, mentioned Cooper goes to spend the subsequent yr linking Whatley to the GOP Medicaid cuts.
“I don’t know what positions Michael Whatley is going to take. He’s a blank slate … but what he is tied to, it’s Trump. And these cuts are Trump’s, this health care disaster is Trump’s. Michael Whatley can’t separate himself from Trump,” Woodhouse mentioned.
When he first ran for governor in 2016, Cooper mentioned he needed increase Medicaid and assist low-income residents afford well being care. However he confronted sturdy opposition from the GOP-controlled Legislature.
Laws lastly handed in March 2023, spurred by a rising refrain of Republican help and the promise of greater than $1.5 billion in extra federal cash for the state.
Well being care resonates with voters throughout the political spectrum, and Cooper is more likely to tout his capacity to work throughout the aisle, which specialists mentioned is one thing that helped him constantly win in North Carolina even when Trump was on the ticket.
“Cooper is going to focus on where he knows best, and he’s got the track record of six statewide elections under his belt to know how to best frame and message a campaign to North Carolinians,” mentioned Michael Bitzer, a professor of politics and historical past at Catawba School.
“I feel the argument that he’ll make is, ‘We labored collectively throughout political aisles to get Medicaid expanded, and now Washington Republicans are reducing nearly the identical quantity as we expanded,'” Bitzer mentioned.
But in making an attempt to tie Whatley to the “big, beautiful” legislation, Cooper goes to face the identical concern as Democrats nationwide: A lot of the cuts within the legislation are back-loaded and gained’t take impact till properly after the midterm elections.
“Clearly, he’s going to bring up [Medicaid]. The problem is people aren’t going to feel this until after the election takes place. So the trick for Cooper is going to be to remind people of how beneficial Medicaid expansion has been and get them to believe him about how bad it’s going to be,” mentioned Chris Cooper, a Western Carolina College politics professor.
It’s not clear Republicans will wish to have interaction the previous governor on Medicaid immediately, and Bitzer mentioned they’ve their very own listing of assaults. Federal campaigns typically heart on way more partisan points than statewide elections, and Republicans have already began attacking Cooper as a radical liberal.
