Roy Cooper promotes record on crime despite GOP attacks felon releases
Former North Carolina governor and Democratic Senate candidate Roy Cooper released a new campaign ad touting his record on crime despite persistent Republican scrutiny for his role in releasing felons from prison.
Cooper, the Democratic nominee for the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), is pointing to actions taken under his administration that “put criminals in prison and kept them there” and tightened bail laws in a new ad attempting to extinguish Republican attacks.
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The renewed focus comes as Republican nominee Michael Whatley and GOP allies intensify criticism over criminal justice decisions made during Cooper’s tenure. Whatley has repeatedly accused Cooper of failing to protect North Carolinians, citing high-profile crimes committed by repeat offenders and arguing that the former governor was too lenient on public safety issues.
The Senate Leadership Fund, the premier GOP political action committee, has been running an email series called “Roy Cooper’s Felon Friday,” where the PAC highlights other convicted felons who were released early by Cooper.
Whatley and his party have particularly gone after Cooper as it relates to the killing of Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian woman who moved to Charlotte in 2022 after Russia invaded her home country. Zarutska’s alleged killer, DeCarlos Brown Jr., was released early from prison by then-Gov. Cooper.
Republicans argue Brown was released early due to a 2021 court settlement reached by Cooper during the COVID-19 pandemic, but Brown was released before the lawsuit was settled. The COVID-19 settlement released roughly 3,500 inmates, but Cooper reportedly included prisoners released shortly before the lawsuit was settled, including Brown.
GOP lawmakers later launched an investigation this year into the circumstances surrounding the agreement, contending that voters deserve answers about how the releases were handled.
Cooper has rejected responsibility for the releases, saying Whatley is trying to score political points by citing Zarutska’s death to damage his Senate campaign. President Donald Trump, who backed Whatley, has also cited Zarutska’s death as one of Cooper’s flaws.
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Cooper’s campaign has not been able to halt GOP attacks targeting his former administration’s actions and has instead responded by emphasizing his support for tougher pretrial detention standards and other public safety measures enacted during his administration.
Polling from the Carolina Journal suggests that Cooper has held a consistent lead over Whatley, but the two still have a bitter fight ahead of the November general election.
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