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2026 election issues

Hurricane Helene recovery and FEMA

Stalled recovery from Hurricane Helene has become a major political issue in North Carolina’s 2026 U.S. Senate race. Both leading candidates have campaigned on fixing FEMA, with debates over the federal agency’s performance and how recovery aid and disaster response should be reformed.

How should North Carolina leaders address Hurricane Helene recovery and FEMA’s role?

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Sources

Washington Examiner / Samantha Jo-Roth — https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_election_in_North_Carolina,_2026
Hurricane Helene’s stalled recovery is quickly emerging as one of the most politically volatile issues in North Carolina’s marquee Senate race.
Roy Cooper — https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_election_in_North_Carolina,_2026
Both candidates have campaigned on addressing FEMA in the Senate. Cooper said he wants to "recreate FEMA, because clearly, it has
Positions on this issue  ·  liberal → conservative
  1. Massively expand federal disaster aid and rebuild FEMA with a stronger social-safety focus
  2. Reform FEMA to speed aid while increasing federal investment in resilient recovery
  3. Improve FEMA coordination and accountability without a full agency overhaul
  4. Overhaul FEMA for efficiency and shift more recovery responsibility to states and locals
  5. Shrink federal disaster bureaucracy and rely primarily on state, local, and private response