Slow Helene recovery shadows North Carolina's Senate and 11th District midterm races

Left · 2Two years after Hurricane Helene, recovery in western North Carolina remains incomplete, and Grist reports that it hangs over two competitive midterm races. 1 2 Left · 1Grist reports that Helene caused nearly $60 billion in damage and recovery needs, that about $10 billion in federal assistance has been provided, and that the state puts the unmet need at roughly $41 billion after state funding and insurance payments. 1 Left · 1A poll commissioned by television stations WRAL and WSOC found half of North Carolinians dissatisfied with the government's response and 37 percent satisfied; in Western North Carolina, only 5 percent said they were "very satisfied". 1

Left · 1In the Senate race, Democrat Roy Cooper, governor when the storm hit, has kept a double-digit lead over Republican Michael Whatley, whom President Donald Trump tapped as his point person on the recovery. Grist says the Republican super PAC Senate Leadership Fund has pulled its financial support. 1 Left · 1Whatley's role as the so-called "Helene recovery czar" has drawn scrutiny: an Asheville Citizen-Times investigation, cited by Grist, found no communication between Whatley and FEMA in the two years after the storm. Whatley's campaign says he helped deliver more aid for Helene than for any other natural disaster in state history, while Cooper's campaign says Whatley "has completely failed" and that the state has received just 16 percent of the funding it needs. 1 Left · 1North Carolina's 11th Congressional District, which covers much of the worst-hit area, is considered a toss-up. Trump carried it by 9.5 points in 2024, but Republican Jennifer Balkcom is running even with Democrat Jamie Ager, and a pro-Trump PAC cancelled more than $1 million in TV advertising for Balkcom. 1

Left · 1Balkcom entered the race about three months ago after Republican incumbent Chuck Edwards dropped out following a bipartisan House Ethics Committee finding of "persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct towards two young female staffers", according to The Assembly's reporting carried by Inside Climate News. That reporting says the change turned a race forecasters had rated lean Republican into a toss-up. 2 Left · 1Ager, a fourth-generation farmer with no prior political experience, calls himself a "Mountain Democrat", distances himself from national party figures and has made Helene recovery, affordability and corruption his themes. Balkcom, a state House member from Henderson County, has run ads attacking Ager, including an AI-generated video aired without an AI watermark. The Assembly says both candidates promise to deliver on Helene recovery but neither has detailed specifics. 2 Left · 1Grist notes Trump joked he would not send North Carolina more aid if Whatley lost and has announced or approved disaster aid for other states around Republican candidates' appearances; Vice President J.D. Vance promised $858 million to North Carolina near Asheville. The White House has denied that disaster decisions are politically motivated. 1

Left · 1On the ground, the Big Ivy food bank director in Buncombe County said 40 families still lack housing, and a food bank network spokesperson said recent federal cuts have made SNAP benefits harder to access. 2 Left · 1Whether frustration will change votes is uncertain. Western Carolina University political scientist Chris Cooper told Grist Helene has featured less in ads than expected, since neither candidate gains from highlighting an unpopular recovery, and that voters tend to blame government generally, which may help an outsider like Ager. Grist concludes that frustration is easier to measure than its effect on votes. 1