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Democrat Roy Cooper continued his “Make Stuff Cost Less” campaign tour in Raleigh on Saturday night, telling a crowd of supporters that his plan includes rolling back tariffs and ending the war in Iran.
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Cooper, a former two-term governor running against Republican Michael Whatley, called the Trump administration’s tariffs “chaotic” during a rally at Trophy Brewing, south of downtown Raleigh.
“We know these tariffs are costing so much money to small businesses and to the customers that they have to pass the cost on to, and we want to end this war in Iran. We’ve got to do that,” he said.
Cooper told reporters that the war in Iran is “putting our brave service members at risk, and that is driving the cost of gas through the roof.”
As of Saturday, the average price of a gallon of gas in North Carolina, according to AAA, was $4.16, with a national average of $4.48 per gallon.
The News & Observer asked Cooper his position on the two tax-related constitutional amendments on North Carolina ballots in November.
Recent polls have shown a majority of voters, both Democrats and Republicans, support the amendment that would cap the state income tax rate at 3.5%. It is already set to drop to 3.49% in 2027. If the amendment passes, the General Assembly could not raise income taxes in the future. Democrats, including Gov. Josh Stein, have criticized the proposal, saying that it could mean raising sales taxes. The other tax amendment, if it passes, would require the legislature to instill a property tax levy limit.
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“I think people need to look carefully at these amendments because they’re mostly protection for millionaires,” Cooper told The N&O as he talked with reporters after the event.
When I was governor, I continued to submit budgets to the legislature where only middle class got tax cuts for income and not the multimillionaires,” Cooper said. “And what Michael Whatley will do in Washington is continue these multi-millionaire cuts, which we don’t need. And I think people need to look at those amendments like that because they could go somewhere else to get taxes that everyday people pay.”
The state has a flat income tax rate, meaning the highest earners pay the same rate as middle-class taxpayers. Other states like Virginia have a graduated tax rate, with higher tax rates for higher income earners.
Republicans in North Carolina, who control the legislature now and did when Cooper was governor, have spent years reducing not only the personal income tax rate, but also the corporate income tax rate. When Cooper was governor, he strongly opposed corporate income tax cuts, which are a much smaller source of state revenue compared with personal income and sales taxes.
Whatley supports Republicans’ federal tax policy, and campaigned in June supporting Trump’s “No Taxes on Tips” legislation, saying he wants people to be able to keep more of their money.
Whatley held a campaign event in Pittsboro on Friday, praising a series of bills that became law when the legislature overturned Cooper’s vetoes of the measures about banning transgender athletes in school sports and restricting gender-transition procedures for minors, The News & Observer previously reported.
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This story was originally published September 26, 2026 at 9:01 PM.