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Vice President JD Vance rallies for Michael Whatley in Greensboro

Vice President JD Vance speaks during a rally at Koury Convention Center in Greensboro, N.C., Monday, Sept. 21, 2026.
Kent Nishimura
/
AP
Vice President JD Vance speaks during a rally at Koury Convention Center in Greensboro, N.C., Monday, Sept. 21, 2026.

Vice President JD Vance was at the Koury Convention Center in Greensboro on Monday to rally support for U.S. Senate Candidate Michael Whatley, who is locked in a tight race with former Governor Roy Cooper.

An energized crowd of roughly 300 people, many wearing red MAGA baseball caps, was seated in a large ballroom eager to hear the Vice President speak. With September polls showing Whatley between 6 and 15 points behind Cooper, Vance applauded Whatley's record as RNC Chair and pointed to his work on voter integrity and law enforcement.

In contrast, Vance said Cooper routinely “bent the knee to the far left” during his time in office.

"We need somebody who's going to stand up for the integrity in our elections," says Vance. "We need somebody who's going to pass the Save America Act, not fight against it. We need someone who will never back down when it comes to making sure American elections are decided by American citizens."

For his part, Cooper has responded to soft-on-crime charges by touting his 16-year record as state attorney general. He’s also said crime rates dropped under his leadership. Cooper most recently campaigned in Charlotte on Friday as part of his "Make Stuff Cost Less" tour.

Vance touted the Trump administration’s record on job growth, the murder rate and the border crisis. He said the country needed a strong ally like Whatley in the Senate to keep moving their agenda forward.

Before his arrival in the Triad, David had already established himself as a fixture in the Austin, Texas arts scene as a radio host for Classical 89.5 KMFA. During his tenure there, he produced and hosted hundreds of programs including Mind Your Music, The Basics and T.G.I.F. Thank Goodness, It's Familiar, which each won international awards in the Fine Arts Radio Competition. As a radio journalist with 88.5 WFDD, his features have been recognized by the Associated Press, Public Radio News Directors Inc., Catholic Academy of Communication Professionals, and Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas. David has written and produced national stories for NPR, KUSC and CPRN in Los Angeles and conducted interviews for Minnesota Public Radio's Weekend America.