Republican groups have begun running TV ads that attack Roy Cooper by using interviews with grieving fathers who describe children killed in separate homicides, according to local reporting and the groups’ own materials.
The Senate Leadership Fund, a Republican-aligned super PAC, posted a press release for an ad that features “Stephen,” a North Carolina father who says his daughter Logan was murdered in 2025, and the release says the spot links that tragedy to Cooper’s record on crime and prison policy.
Local coverage by WFAE and regional outlets shows at least two separate TV spots use footage of fathers describing their children’s deaths before the ads imply Cooper bears responsibility for policies that let violent offenders remain free or return to communities.
Investigations by reporters and interviews cited by Popular Information and Cardinal Pine say one man seen in the advertising, Ronald Hayes, told reporters he believed he was speaking to an independent anti-violence group and that he did not consent to his interview being used as a political attack on Cooper.
Those outlets quote Hayes saying the ad misrepresented how his comments would be used. Popular Information reported Hayes described being “deceived, manipulated, and exploited” by the group that provided his interview footage, while Cardinal Pine and Yahoo News carried similar accounts from Hayes and local reporting.
Senate Leadership Fund’s August 19 press release names the ad and frames it as criticizing Cooper’s “reckless policies,” saying the spot features a father whose daughter was murdered by a career criminal, and urges voters to hold Cooper accountable.
Campaigns on both sides have traded negative spots across the 2026 cycle; Cooper’s campaign has also run ads attacking his Republican opponent on issues such as inflation and energy, showing the race has a high saturation of TV messaging.
How the footage was gathered and cleared is now the focus of reporters and the subjects of the clips. Popular Information and other local outlets reported that at least one father says he did not agree to the political use, and WFAE’s reporting fact-checked how the ads framed Cooper’s record.
What this could mean for the race
Political advertising that centers victims of violent crime has drawn scrutiny in other campaigns this year, and the disclosures about consent could prompt further local reporting and ethics questions about how outside groups recruit and record testimonial material.
Cooper is running as the Democratic nominee in a closely watched North Carolina Senate contest; his campaign and Republican groups are expected to keep TV and digital ad buys heavy through the autumn, according to the pattern of recent buys and releases.
Readers who want context on Cooper’s campaign messaging can see related coverage of his advertising strategy and his opponent’s recent themes.
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Sources
- WFAE — reporting that examined the ads and how they present grieving fathers’ stories.
- Senate Leadership Fund — the group’s August 19 press release announcing the ad and naming a father and his daughter.
- Popular Information — reporting that quoted Ronald Hayes saying he was “deceived, manipulated, and exploited.”
- Cardinal Pine — local coverage reporting Hayes’ account that he did not consent to the political use of his interview footage.
- Yahoo News — carried reporting on the father’s statements and the controversy around the ads.
