NORTH CAROLINA, USA — Ted Budd won the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate on Primary Election Night. The Associated Press called the race minutes after the polls closed at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
The North Carolina Board of Elections website showed Budd leading with more than 56% of the votes early in the night. Former North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory trailed his lead with about 27% of the votes. In third, was former U.S. Congressman Mark Walker with about 9% of the votes.
Budd addressed voters after the results came down.
"Under Joe Biden, America is woke and broke...and Cheri Beasley would be nothing but a rubber stamp on Joe Biden's woke and broke policies," Budd said.
He also thanked his opponents, Walker and McCrory for their past support in previous elections.
Budd will go on to run against Democratic nominee for US Senate Cheri Beasley in November. Beasley's race was also called early after polls closed. Beasley was the presumptive nominee and won her race by a landslide, logging more than 84% of the votes.
Pre-election polls
The most recent poll for the Republican primary conducted by The Hill/Emerson College shows Budd leading by a 27-point spread. In an April poll conducted by Trafalgar Group, Budd led by a 24-point spread.
In a potential Budd vs. Beasley matchup for US Senate, a recent poll showed Budd was the favored candidate by a 7-point spread.
However, in a potential McCrory vs. Beasley matchup, voters favored Beasley by a 5-point spread.
Primary election night
Mark Walker shares how he's feeling as the results roll in.
Pat McCrory's watch party is at Selwyn Pub in Charlotte.
Mark Walker's watch party is in Summerfield, Guilford County.
Ted Budd's watch party is in his hometown of Rural Hall, Davie County.
Meet the candidates
Ted Budd is from Rural Hall and represents North Carolina's 13th district in the U.S. House. He has held the position for five years. He is the only Republican candidate to have received the backing from former President Donald Trump.
According to his website, Budd says he's running for U.S. Senate because he is "gravely concerned about our country's future, because North Carolina families, our values, and our jobs are under attack every day in Washington."
Pat McCrory was raised in Guilford County and served as Mayor of Charlotte from 1995 to 2009. He was elected Governor of North Carolina in 2012 and served for four years. He lost the 2016 gubernatorial race to Democratic incumbent Roy Cooper.
According to his website, if elected to US Senate, McCrory plans to restore funding for a border wall with Mexico, introduce a national voter ID requirement, and fight for a balanced budget.
Mark Walker is a minister from the Piedmont Triad. He represented North Carolina's 6th Congressional District from 2015 to 2021. Walker chose not to run for reelection of his district in 2020 following the redrawing of congressional maps. In early 2022, he announced his bid for the US Senate.
According to his website, Walker says he intends to be a "conservative warrior and a bridge-builder for all of our communities" if elected to US Senate.
