That all changed this afternoon when Walker revealed he'd taken a job with former President Donald Trump, ditching the runoff election. He told WFMY News 2's Nixon Norman, that he feels confident with his decision.
Walker said his decision to not compete in a runoff election with McDowell was made only 24 hours before announcing.
"We had gotten word through a third party that President Trump may be wanting to reach out to us. He knew our background and our record as far as both as being a former pastor for the faith-based groups but also with the minority community outreach," Walker said.
That call from Trump was to offer him a job in his campaign as the Director of Outreach for Faith and Minority Communities. Walker said the position is about building trust between those two communities and the Republican Party.
This comes after Trump endorsed McDowell leading up to the primary. Political experts say no only did it vault McDowell to victory, it shows the amount of influence trump has within the Republican Party.
"Not only does he have a stick in terms of supporting an opponent, he also has a carrot which he can give people opportunities within the campaign apparatus and then potentially, if he becomes president, within the federal government itself," Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of the Elon University Poll, Jason Husser said.
Husser said in the past there have been Christian and evangelical groups that have disagreed with Trump's behavior at times, hiring someone like Walker could benefit the former president.
Walker says he's not angry that McDowell was endorsed over him. He says Trump told him if he was to run for an open seat in 2026 and 2028, he would get his endorsement 100%.