Budd defeats Beasley in North Carolina's US Senate race, helping GOP hold key seat

U.S. Rep. Ted Budd defeated Democrat Cheri Beasley in North Carolina’s hotly contested U.S. Senate race — a win that helped the GOP keep a key seat in its effort in its effort to win the chamber.

Budd held about 51% of the vote and Beasley, a former state Supreme Court chief justice, earned about 47% once all precincts finished reporting.

Initial results posted Tuesday night showed Beasley leading in early voting, which is common for Democratic candidates in statewide elections in North Carolina. Republicans have historically voted in larger numbers than Democrats on Election Day, though, and on Tuesday elected Budd to replace retiring Republican Sen. Richard Burr.

Budd and his supporters attempted to make the race a referendum on the Biden’s administration’s handling of the economy and perceived chaos at the southern U.S. border and in American cities. If elected, Budd says he’ll crack down on crime and unlawful immigration.

On stage at the Budd campaign's celebration in Winston-Salem Tuesday night, the three-term congressman thanked former President Donald Trump for his endorsement and said the victory "sounded a loud and clear message in Washington, D.C., tonight."

"You've said you've had enough of policies that make your lives worse," Budd said. "You're sick of paying too much at the grocery store and at the gas pump. You're tired of feeling unsafe when you walk the streets. You're tired being attacked just because you want to know what your kids are being taught at school."

Budd's win brings relief to Republicans hoping to retake power in the Senate. The GOP, which had held the North Carolina seat since 2004, hoped to maintain seats in Florida and Wisconsin and flip seats in Arizona, Georgia and Nevada.

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Budd and the GOP got help from large outside political groups, with Club for Growth spending more than $14 million on ads and mailers to help Budd's cause in North Carolina.

“We are very happy to have played a role in helping Ted Budd defeat Cheri Beasley," David McIntosh, Club for Growth PAC's president, said in a statement. “As voters across the country are rejecting Biden’s failed socialist spending agenda, Budd is the conservative champion who will correct the past two years of Joe Biden’s mistakes to help restore America’s economy and fight back against inflation."

During the campaign, Beasley, who would have been North Carolina's first Black senator, described Budd as a Washington insider and extremist who would destabilize federal entitlement programs and undermine America’s election system. Budd voted against certifying the results of the 2020 election, and Beasley vowed to preserve those institutions.

On stage at a campaign event in Raleigh Tuesday night, Beasley said she conceded to Budd in a call. She said she "encouraged him to stand in the tradition of our state to be an independent leader that puts North Carolina first." She added that she is not "leaving the fight, because the issues that I ran on are too important."

The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn a woman’s constitutional right to an abortion provided the basis for most Democratic attack ads across the country—and North Carolina was no different. Beasley often highlighted Budd’s support for a federal 15-week abortion ban proposal. She also highlighted his opposition to measures that would lower drug costs, hoping to show areas where she believes Budd is out of step with the public.

While Beasley didn’t appear with Biden on the campaign trail or in ads, Budd and his supporters persistently sought to link Beasley to Biden. Ads attacking Beasley routinely mentioned the direction of the economy, an uptick in unlawful crossings along the southern border and increased rates of violent crime compared to pre-pandemic levels.

Budd has said his support for additional abortion restrictions were meant as a response to Democratic efforts to expand access, that he accepts Biden won fair and square, and that he wants the government to have a more limited role in how businesses operate.

The Republican National Committee, in statement through spokeswoman Taylor Mazock, said Budd's win will help establish balance in Washington.

"North Carolinians are tired of Biden and Democrats’ 40-year high inflation, rising gas prices, and weak on crime stances," she said.

Bobbie Richardson, chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party, said in a press statement that Beasley's "historic candidacy inspired millions of voters to use their voice in our democracy and we are eternally grateful that she had the courage to lend her own to this race.”