Michael Whatley’s ties to a child sex offender are getting national attention | Opinion
Unfortunately for Republican Senate candidate Michael Whatley, his ties to a convicted sex offender are getting national attention.
An article in the conservative Washington Examiner details how Whatley has come under fire for appointing Harvey Lee West to a prominent rule-making body in the North Carolina Republican Party despite West’s history as a child sex offender. West was charged with the statutory rape of three teenage girls in 1999, while he was working as a police officer near the Outer Banks, and he served six years in prison after pleading guilty to 16 charges of taking indecent liberties with a child in 2000.
The scandal “couldn’t have come at a worse time,” the Washington Examiner article noted.
That’s certainly true. Whatley’s Senate campaign didn’t have a lot of air to begin with. He’s been trailing in the polls since the campaign began and is struggling with a lack of name recognition that has allowed Democrats to shape his image. This will only deflate his campaign further, especially if it keeps garnering attention. Democrats are making sure that it does — former Gov. Roy Cooper’s campaign has brought it up on an almost daily basis. Meanwhile, Whatley has yet to comment on the issue or answer questions about why he chose to appoint West to the role.
The West situation may hang a dark cloud over other races as well. In addition to serving within the party, West hosts a popular fundraiser for judicial candidates every year that is well attended by Republicans. Democrats have already singled out N.C. Supreme Court candidate Sarah Stevens as an attendee. Polls have shown that the race for N.C. Supreme Court is neck-and-neck, and any association with a convicted criminal may be especially problematic for a candidate who wants to be a judge.
Republicans should hope the issue dies down quickly, because it’s baggage they can’t afford to carry.
Deputy Opinion Editor Paige Masten is covering politics and the 2026 elections for The Charlotte Observer and The News & Observer.
