**HEADLINE: Cooper Pulls Ahead as Whatley’s Rural Bloc Falters – New Poll Shows 7-Point Swing**

HEADLINE: Cooper Pulls Ahead as Whatley’s Rural Bloc Falters – New Poll Shows 7-Point Swing

Key Data:

• Cooper now leads Whatley 48% to 41% among likely voters (MoE ±3.2%).
• Swing driven by a 14-point collapse in Whatley’s rural base, now at 44% (down from 58% in Q3).
• Cooper surged with independents (+11 points) and suburban women (+18 points).

Bottom Line: Whatley’s ground game is failing. The rural firewall is cracking, and Cooper is capitalizing on a coalition of suburban defectors and undecided moderates. If this trend holds, the race is Cooper’s to lose.