Michael Whatley downplays his Michigan roots as he runs for Senate in North Carolina

Former RNC Chair Michael Whatley moved to North Carolina when he was in high school. He frequently says he is a “son” of the state and “grew up” there.

Standing next to President Donald Trump after Hurricane Helene devastated North Carolina in 2024, Michael Whatley wanted those watching the storm briefing to know how affected he was by the disaster, saying he had deep roots in the region.

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“As a son of western North Carolina, I was in Watauga County with Samaritan’s Purse recently and got a chance to see the devastation that all of these communities have hit,” said Whatley, who was then chair of the Republican National Committee and the Trump administration’s “recovery czar.”

Whatley is now running for Senate against Roy Cooper, North Carolina’s former Democratic governor. And on the campaign trail, his ties to the region are a central part of his political DNA. He frequently talks about how he “grew up” in the tiny town of Blowing Rock in western North Carolina. An NBC News review found that Whatley has used some variation of that line at least 15 times since he announced his Senate run in July.