Cooper, super PAC hit McCrory with online ads

On the eve of the first gubernatorial debate in the 2016 election in North Carolina, Gov. Pat McCrory was hit with a pair of social media ad campaigns by opponent Attorney General Roy Cooper and a Democratic super PAC.

The two candidates will face off at the N.C. Bar Association event in Charlotte on Friday morning.

American Bridge says the social media campaign is focused on the Charlotte area, without disclosing how much it was spending on the ad.

The ad is sarcastically titled “McCrory’s Fantastic Record.” It brings up a number of controversies in the governor’s first term, and features Donald Trump praising him.

Cooper’s campaign has also released a digital ad featuring clips from McCrory’s appearance at the Bar Association in 2012, and trying to make the case that he hasn’t lived up to his promises. The campaign declined to say how much it was spending.

That spot is posted on Cooper’s Facebook page: http://nando.com/3vk.

McCrory campaign spokesman Ricky Diaz had this response:

“Instead of launching attacks from his secret hiding place, Roy Cooper should stop avoiding the press and accept the additional debates the governor has already accepted. He's probably attacking the governor before the debate even starts because he doesn't want to talk about his failure to do his job to defend North Carolina and how he rolled over for Washington, D.C., underscored by today's Supreme Court decision.”

The U.S. Supreme Court deadlocked Thursday on President Barack Obama's immigration plan to help millions living in the U.S. illegally. McCrory joined governors from 25 other states in challenging the federal order

This story was originally published June 23, 2016 at 6:27 PM with the headline "Cooper, super PAC hit McCrory with online ads."