The Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC aligned with Senate Republican leaders, is pulling back its remaining advertising in North Carolina and redirecting resources to Kansas, according to an Associated Press report published October 2. Four people familiar with the decision told the AP that the group will make a seven-figure advertising buy in Kansas.
The move reverses part of an ambitious North Carolina plan. Senate Leadership Fund announced in April that it had reserved $71 million for the state and launched a $17 million summer campaign in July. The AP reported that the group had already spent about $32 million and was canceling roughly $18 million in additional planned advertising.
North Carolina Republican Michael Whatley is running against former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper for the seat held by retiring Republican Sen. Thom Tillis. In Kansas, Republican Sen. Roger Marshall is seeking a second term against Democratic nominee Adam Hamilton, prompting Republicans to devote resources to a state Donald Trump carried comfortably in 2024.
The decision reflects one outside group's spending strategy and does not mean the Republican Party or Whatley campaign has formally ended its effort in North Carolina. Independent-expenditure plans can also change before Election Day, while federal filings and ad reservations may lag behind privately made decisions.
