Dem
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GOP
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Democrats are waiting for former North Carolina governor Roy Cooper to get into the Senate race and challenge Thom Tillis. So far, Cooper is mum. He doesn't have to jump in so fast, as he is well known and as soon as he is in, the money will flow like water. This has created a vacuum, and politics abhors a vacuum, so former representative Wiley Nickel, who was gerrymandered out of a seat mid-decade, has decided to fill it. He is running for the Senate. His decision might speed up Cooper's decision, but not necessarily, as Cooper surely knows he could beat Nickel in the March 2026 primary easily. Here is Nickel's introductory video.
We are not impressed at all. It is very jumpy, with no clip lasting more than a couple of seconds. It is all over the map, covering every possible Democratic topic. It doesn't hold a candle to Mallory McMorrow's intro video, which doesn't cut between scenes so fast and most importantly, has a number of clips in which she speaks her mind directly to the camera. Of course, in a week it will be forgotten, but it is important to see if any money rolls in. If most Democrats are waiting for Cooper, it might not.
Nickel is a lawyer and was a state senator before being elected to Congress. His campaign platform is clear: Blame Tillis for every bad thing Donald Trump has done. That may resonate with Democrats, but it doesn't explain: Why Nickel? Why not wait for Cooper? Of course, if Cooper takes a pass (to run for president in 2028), then Nickel might do well. (V)