Tillis visits Brunswick County on criss-cross tour of NC ahead of Election Day

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - Incumbent Republican Senator Thom Tillis is conducting what he called a “windshield wiper tour” of North Carolina in the last few days of what has been a contentious election cycle for the seat.

Tillis stopped by the Brunswick County GOP Headquarters Friday morning to speak with voters, party leaders and a handful of Republican candidates from the county.

Tillis extolled his record in Washington, specifically his part in confirming new Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett.

He also pointed to the passage of the CARES Act package to aid with the pandemic, and criticized Governor Roy Cooper’s response to the pandemic, saying he wants to see more of the economy reopened.

“I think everybody recognizes the threat of COVID. But they also understand the threat and the number of victims that we could potentially encounter if we were to shut down the economy,” he said.

Tillis attacked his opponent, Democrat Cal Cunningham, for his alleged extra-marital affairs, as well as his adherence to Democratic policies.

He also went as far as to challenge Cunningham to a debate sometime in the next three days.

“I’m happy to talk about all the other issues. I would invite him to meet me somewhere between now and Tuesday and we can debate the issues, but I’m afraid he’s not even going to spend time with the press, let alone me,” he said, referencing how Cunningham’s public appearances have been limited in recent weeks.

When asked by WECT for a response to the Senator’s, Cunningham’s campaign sent a statement:

“From countless attempts to deny North Carolinians' health care, to passing one of the country’s most restrictive voting bills, to caving to his oil and gas donors at the expense of North Carolina’s coastal communities, and now prioritizing his own political interests over providing badly-needed coronavirus relief, Senator Tillis has made his record crystal clear to North Carolina voters. With a political career defined by caving to his corporate and special interest donors instead of fighting for the people he is supposed to serve, any election-year attempt to paper over his toxic record on the issues North Carolinians care about will fall flat.”

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