Silent on Trump, NC congressional Republicans won't say whether they'll support his 2024 run

And as new polling indicates that possible GOP competitors for the nomination might have more appeal, the state’s Republican congressional delegation remains largely mum about their support for the former president.

WRAL News reached out to all 16 new and returning members of North Carolina’s congressional delegation to gauge their attitudes on the 2024 presidential election, level of support for Trump and President Joe Biden and whether they’d accept and certify the results of the 2024 presidential contest.

North Carolina’s seven congressional Democrats were largely at least somewhat supportive of Biden, with all but one member responding to the request for comment. That’s not unexpected because sitting politicians tend to support the incumbent president if they’re in the same party.

Republicans, however, largely declined to speak about Trump, despite many previously being highly supportive of Trump during his presidency or even campaigning alongside him this year. Only two of the nine incoming and returning GOP members responded when asked if they’d back Trump’s 2024 bid. No Republican answered whether they’d accept and certify the 2024 presidential election results.

While it’s not uncommon for lawmakers to hold off on an endorsement far ahead of an election, political strategists and nonpartisan experts see dwindling support for Trump, even among some of his most vocal backers in the leadup to the 2020 election.

Despite a number of requests made through phone calls, texts and emails over the course of three weeks, representatives of most North Carolina GOP members of Congress didn’t respond to questions about the upcoming presidential contest.

Experts took particular note of one member’s silence: U.S. Sen.-elect Ted Budd, who has long been among the most devout Trump supporters.

Budd voted against certifying the 2020 presidential election and against two different impeachments of Trump.

“Given where he was in the primary and their ownership of that [Trump] endorsement, he owes it to everybody to let them know where he stands,” said Paul Shumaker, a Republican consultant who has advised five different successful U.S. Senate candidates in North Carolina and favored a primary challenger of Budd’s.

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David McLennan, a Meredith College political scientist, said Budd’s recent distancing from Trump — including downplaying the former president’s endorsement during the latest election cycle — could be a reflection of growing divisions within the Republican Party and an increased desire by some voters to transition to a post-Trump future, especially after a string of losses in the midterms among Trump-backed candidates in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Arizona and other states.

“He is sensing Trump may be damaged goods, at least for a while going forward,” McLennan said of Budd’s lack of response to a request for comment about his support for Trump.

The poll released this week showing Biden trailing DeSantis by 21 points came from a firm associated with Jim Blaine, a GOP political consultant. The Differentiators Data survey conducted from Dec. 8 to Dec. 11 reported a margin of error or 4.5 percentage. Its findings track with national polls and surveys in other states showing less support for Biden and more for DeSantis.

GOP frustration with Trump was perhaps most visible in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell reiterated concerns with “candidate quality” in Arizona, Georgia and New Hampshire.

“Our ability to control the primary outcome was quite limited in 2022 because of the support of the former President,” McConnell said, alluding to the primary wins and general election defeats of Trump-backed candidates.

In North Carolina, Republicans lost two winnable congressional races in and around the Triangle. Businesswoman Sandy Smith and political newcomer Bo Hines narrowly won their respective primaries in the 1st and 13th Congressional Districts, but lost to their Democratic opponents in the general election.

Smith and Hines were endorsed by Trump, and they used that support as a selling point. Their losses prompted some GOP leaders to question the electability of hardline conservatives aligned with Trump.

“The Republican Party is going through a recalibration,” said U.S. Rep. Mark Walker, who in 2021 was encouraged by Trump to drop out of the race for North Carolina’s open U.S. Senate race and launch a bid for the U.S. House instead. “Do you stay with the rhetorical-driven Trump approach or do we get back to the more service mentality that is Ronald Reagan’s approach.”

Michele Woodhouse, a former congressional candidate and local GOP district chair in western North Carolina, sees a 2024 electability debate among Republicans taking shape similar to that of the 2020 Democratic presidential contest that propelled Biden to victory. Woodhouse strongly supported Trump in his first two presidential bids and was even considered as a possible endorsement under a defunct congressional map.

Despite her past support for Trump, she said she wants DeSantis at the top of the ticket because she believes he gives North Carolina Republicans the best chance of making gains across the state.

“Ron DeSantis is the person who brings our very, very best chance of victory from the top of the ballot to the bottom in 2024,” Woodhouse said.

Unlike past GOP congressional candidates who may feel more free to speak their mind, new and returning members of Congress are staying away from 2024 talk.

Budd was far from the only muted Republican. U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis and six new and returning U.S. House members also didn’t respond to repeated requests.

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Trump was instrumental in getting Bishop elected during a special election in 2018. In congressional hearings, Bishop has consistently pushed back on Trump critics and defended the former president during two impeachment hearings.

Moderate Republicans are also avoiding discussing the upcoming election.

Republican state Sen. Chuck Edwards, who was chosen by voters in November to serve in the state’s westernmost congressional district, said he was too busy preparing to serve in the U.S. House to weigh in on the 2024 election. “I’ll turn my attention to politics again later next year,” he said.

Only one of North Carolina’s nine new and returning members responded to WRAL in support of Trump.

Greg Steele, a spokesman for Republican U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson, pointed to a recent media interview in which Hudson said he supports Trump’s 2024 reelection bid but would also rally behind whoever became the GOP nominee.

Representatives on the other side of the aisle were more responsive. Several of North Carolina’s seven new and returning U.S. House members voiced at least some support for Biden and nearly all committed to accepting the results of the 2024 presidential election. State Sen. Jeff Jackson, who won a Charlotte-area congressional race in November, was the lone Democrat not to respond to repeated requests.

U.S. Reps. Kathy Manning, Deborah Ross and Alma Adams and incoming Reps. Don Davis and Wiley Nickel signaled their support for accepting and certifying the 2024 results. State Sen. Valerie Foushee, who won a Durham-area congressional race this year, didn’t answer the question. Ross was the most emphatic Democrat in her support for Biden.

“President Biden has done an exceptional job in just two years, helping us navigate the worst of the pandemic and working for transformational legislation, from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to the Inflation Reduction Act,” Ross said in a statement. “While we have made incredible progress, there is still so much to do. I look forward to supporting his decision — whether he seeks reelection in 2024 or not.”

Other new and returning congressional members offered more tepid enthusiasm or avoided questions about Biden altogether. Biden’s approval ratings remain low, but have increased in recent months.

Nickel and Manning didn’t share their thoughts on Biden. Foushee said she looks forward to learning his plans. Davis, a moderate Democrat who will represent eastern North Carolina, said he’d wait for Biden to make an announcement before making a decision on supporting him.

“The president has expressed his intent to announce his decision early next year, which I respect,” Davis wrote. “Only an individual and a family in our democracy should ultimately decide to run for public office, whether for the school board or the president. As a thoughtful and informed voter, I would rather wait for the president's announcement before making such a decision.”

Sam Spencer, a spokesperson who responded on behalf of Adams, praised Biden but didn’t offer a full-throated endorsement.

“The question isn’t whether or not President Biden should run — it’s ‘why is the Republican Party in such disarray?’” Spencer said.