Trump-Endorsed Ted Budd Wins North Carolina GOP Senate Primary

May 17, 2022, 07:56pm

The Associated Press projected Tuesday night that Ted Budd will be the Republican nominee for the open Senate seat in North Carolina.

The race for Budd was called by the AP. Less than 20 minutes after polls closed.

According to results compiled by the AP, Budd had 56.5% of the vote, followed by former Gov. Pat McCrory at 26.8%.

In December, it was reported that Trump encouraged Mark Walker to drop out of the Senate race in exchange for his endorsement in the House race.

PLAY Forbes Business Full Screen About Connatix Read More Read More Read More Read More Read More Read More 1/1 Skip Ad Continue watching after the ad Visit Advertiser websiteGO TO PAGE

The November general election could help determine which party controls the Senate for two years. In North Carolina, a traditionally conservative state where Democrats have gained some ground in recent years, some experts think Republicans will have a slight edge.

Key Background

The Republican Party censured Richard Burr for voting to convict former President Donald Trump in an impeachment trial after the Capitol riot. In June 2021, Trump endorsed Budd, a relatively low-profile member of the right-wing House Freedom Caucus, over Walker, a decision that was widely seen as a surprise. Last year and earlier this year, he led in some polls. The former president praised Budd at a rally last month, and the conservative Club for Growth and its affiliates have run TV advertisements attacking McCrory.

The successes and failures of Trump-endorsed candidates are closely watched by the Republican Party. Trump has endorsed dozens of primary candidates this year in order to settle scores with Republican officials whom he views as insufficiently loyal. Only one Trump endorsee has lost at the ballot box so far, Charles Herbster, a Nebraska gubernatorial hopeful who has denied multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. Perdue is polling well behind Kemp in the Republican primary.

The Club for Growth and Trump backed the same candidate in North Carolina despite their differences. The Club for Growth supported Josh Mandel, who was attacked by J.D. Vance for being a supporter of Chinese growth.