Trump invokes Willie Horton in N.C. Senate race

Democrat Roy Cooper leads Republican Michael Whatley in North Carolina’s open U.S. Senate race, though recent polls show different margins: a WRAL/WSOC poll put Cooper ahead by 14 points, while a Trafalgar Group poll showed a lead of about eight points. President Donald Trump endorsed Whatley and attacked Cooper’s pandemic-era prisoner releases, comparing the issue to the 1988 Willie Horton controversy; reporting cited in one account says the releases were part of a settlement with civil-rights groups and that Cooper had been reluctant. Whatley’s campaign says it is stepping up its efforts, as reports indicate Republican-aligned super PACs have paused or canceled millions of dollars in planned advertising for him to support other races. The contest is a high-profile battle for a seat being vacated by Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, with Democrats seeking gains to win control of the Senate.