Vice President JD Vance was at the Koury Convention Center in Greensboro on Monday to rally support for U.S. Senate Candidate Michael Whatley, who is locked in a tight race with former Governor Roy Cooper.

An energized crowd of roughly 300 people, many wearing red MAGA baseball caps, was seated in a large ballroom eager to hear the Vice President speak. With September polls showing Whatley between 6 and 15 points behind Cooper, Vance applauded Whatley's record as RNC Chair and pointed to his work on voter integrity and law enforcement.

In contrast, Vance said Cooper routinely “bent the knee to the far left” during his time in office.

"We need somebody who's going to stand up for the integrity in our elections," says Vance. "We need somebody who's going to pass the Save America Act, not fight against it. We need someone who will never back down when it comes to making sure American elections are decided by American citizens."

For his part, Cooper has responded to soft-on-crime charges by touting his 16-year record as state attorney general. He’s also said crime rates dropped under his leadership. Cooper most recently campaigned in Charlotte on Friday as part of his "Make Stuff Cost Less" tour.

Vance touted the Trump administration’s record on job growth, the murder rate and the border crisis. He said the country needed a strong ally like Whatley in the Senate to keep moving their agenda forward.