Jewish Voter Guide
Michael Whatley
U.S. Senate · NC · Republican
Summary
Michael Whatley is the Republican nominee in North Carolina's 2026 U.S. Senate election and will face Democratic nominee Roy Cooper.
Michael Whatley has described Israel as one of America's closest allies and the U.S.-Israel relationship as both a strategic and moral alliance. Following Hamas's October 7 attack, he characterized Hamas as a terrorist organization driven by a violent ideology, said the United States should stand firmly with Israel, and later reaffirmed that America must stand with Israel and the Jewish people against terrorism.
Whatley has also said that preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear capabilities should remain a U.S. national security priority. He has condemned antisemitic vandalism directed at a major Jewish community campus in Charlotte, and criticized antisemitic violence on college campuses.
The record
Positions come from public votes, statements and on-the-record interviews. Every claim links to its source. No aggregate score or grade.
Support for a Strong U.S.-Israel Alliance
Whatley wrote that Israel is one of America's closest allies and described the U.S.-Israel alliance as more than geopolitical or cultural, calling it a moral partnership grounded in shared values.
Preventing a Nuclear Iran
During an April 2026 campaign roundtable, Whatley said the United States must support its troops in ensuring that Iran does not obtain nuclear capabilities. He described preventing a nuclear-armed Iran as a national security priority.
Condemning and Combating Terrorism
On the first anniversary of the October 7 attack, Whatley said that Hamas terrorists had stormed into Israel unprovoked and reaffirmed that the United States must continue to stand with Israel and the Jewish people against terrorism.
Response to Hamas's October 7 Attack
Following the October 7 attack, Whatley described Hamas's assault as a coordinated terrorist attack targeting innocent Israeli civilians. He characterized Hamas as an armed death cult and argued that the United States should stand firmly with Israel.
Fighting Antisemitism
After antisemitic materials and Nazi imagery were found at Shalom Park in Charlotte, Whatley called the incident vile and unacceptable. He stated that antisemitism has no place in Charlotte or anywhere in the United States and condemned the act in the strongest terms.
Source
Protecting Jewish Students on Campus
In a May 2024 statement, Whatley criticized the failure to condemn antisemitic violence on college campuses and argued that the United States should restore order while supporting Israel.
Protecting Jewish Institutions and Communities
Following antisemitic vandalism at Charlotte's Shalom Park, which houses synagogues, a Jewish Community Center, a Jewish federation, schools, and other Jewish organizations, Whatley said that he stood with the Jewish community and condemned the act as cowardly and unacceptable.
Source
Engagement with the Jewish Community
Whatley addressed the Republican Jewish Coalition's 2025 Annual Leadership Summit, speaking to members of the American Jewish community at an event focused on support for Israel, Jewish communal concerns, and opposition to antisemitism.
A note on methodology. This guide is published as an educational reference. The American Jewish Congress does not endorse candidates and does not publish aggregate scores. If you spot a position that needs an update or a better source, please reach the office.