May 17, 2022 - Politics & Policy

Trump-endorsed Ted Budd wins N.C. GOP Senate primary

Lucille Sherman

Rep. Ted Budd. Photo: Allison Joyce/Getty Images

Rep. Ted Budd won the Republican nomination for North Carolina's open U.S. Senate seat on Tuesday, per the AP.

Why it matters: The outcome is a victory for former President Trump, who endorsed Budd and whose power as the GOP's kingmaker is being tested with every endorsement he’s made in primaries across the country.

Budd defeated former Gov. Pat McCrory in a long, expensive and brutal primary that saw nearly six months of attack ads and mailers and even had its own Waffle House hash browns controversy.
Budd benefited from an $11 million ad campaign from Club For Growth.

The big picture: The race to replace retiring Republican Sen. Richard Burr is one of the most closely watched in the nation and could decide control of the chamber.

What's next: Budd will face Democratic nominee Cheri Beasley, a former chief justice of North Carolina’s Supreme Court, in November.

Add Axios on Google

Trump-endorsed Ted Budd wins N.C. GOP Senate primary

What to read next