Far-right activist Michele Morrow enters NC’s GOP primary for Senate vs. Whatley
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- Michele Morrow filed to enter the GOP U.S. Senate primary against Whatley
- Her 2024 school race exposed violent social posts and a Jan. 6 call for military action
- Morrow emphasizes culture-war issues and anti-LGBTQ claims
Michele Morrow, the far-right firebrand who mounted a controversial and unsuccessful campaign to lead North Carolina’s public schools last year, announced on Thursday that she would enter the state’s Republican primary for U.S. Senate.
“It is time for North Carolinians to have an advocate in Washington who will fight for their God-given individual liberties and for NC to lead the rest of the nation back to the values that make our country great — strong borders, healthy families, quality education and freedom and justice for all,” Morrow said in a statement.
Her entry into the race makes her the most prominent challenger to Michael Whatley, the former chair of the Republican National Committee and President Donald Trump’s pick for the nomination.
Morrow officially filed her candidacy Thursday morning, according to the State Board of Elections. A representative for Morrow’s campaign also confirmed her candidacy to The News & Observer.
Morrow’s 2024 campaign for superintendent of public instruction drew national attention after reporting uncovered violent social media posts in her past.
She previously called for the execution of high-profile Democrats, including former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden. And in a video recorded on Jan. 6, 2021, Morrow called for Trump to use the military to stay in power after he lost the 2020 election.
She also protested outside the U.S. Capitol on the day of the insurrection, but said she never entered the building.
Morrow campaigned frequently on her opposition to LGBTQ rights, once falsely claiming that the + in LGBTQ+ stands for pedophilia.
Asked about Morrow’s candidacy, Whatley did not mention her by name, but said he was grateful to have Trump’s endorsement in the race.
“I will be an ally for (Trump) and a conservative voice for North Carolina in the U.S. Senate,” he said.
The race for the Senate seat being vacated by Republican Sen. Thom Tillis is already crowded. Morrow and Whatley are joined by four other candidates seeking the Republican nomination: Elizabeth Temple, Don Brown, Margot Dupre and Thomas Johnson.
As for the Democratic nomination, former Gov. Roy Cooper is the frontrunner. Three other candidates, Daryl Farrow, Marcus Williams and Orrick Quick, are also running.
Morrow did not mention Whatley in her campaign announcement, but did take a shot at Cooper, saying she would expose him for the “self-interested, career politician he is.”
Cooper’s campaign manager, Jeff Allen, responded with a statement Wednesday afternoon, calling Morrow an “ultra right-wing candidate who is wrong for North Carolina.”
“Governor Cooper is running to fight for North Carolina’s hardworking families, lower costs, and put the middle class back in reach and voters will reject Morrow’s dangerous agenda,” he said.
This story was originally published December 18, 2025 at 11:42 AM.
