With monster trucks and a key PAC’s support, Republican Ted Budd joins NC Senate race

Republican U.S. Rep. Ted Budd is the latest candidate for North Carolina’s open U.S. Senate seat.

Budd, 49, announced his candidacy Wednesday morning with the launch of a website. Budd touts himself as a family man, small businessman and “liberal agenda crusher.”

His launch video includes a monster truck running over cars labeled the “liberal agenda.” It also includes a clip of former President Donald Trump touting Budd at two rallies. He includes mentions of Dr. Seuss and defunding the police, and he says the U.S. Senate is the last line of defense against turning America into a “woke Socialist wasteland.”

“I’m a small businessman who is so fed up with the liberals’ attacks on our faith, our families and our way of life that I ran for Congress to stand and fight alongside Donald Trump to drain the swamp and take our country back,” Budd said.

Budd owns a gun shop, which he also notes in the video. He is from Davie County and is in his third term in the U.S. House.

Budd was among the first members of the North Carolina delegation to announce that he would object to certification of the 2020 presidential election results in several states. He wrote a letter to the rest of the delegation urging them to join him. He voted against the certification of both Arizona and Pennsylvania, even after the Capitol riot on Jan. 6.

“I will not let a violent mob stop me from giving voice to the thousands of North Carolinians who demanded a debate on the irregularities & Constitutional violations in the presidential election,” Budd wrote on Twitter at the time.

Club for Growth PAC endorsed Budd on Wednesday morning. The conservative political action committee played a large role in Budd’s first election to Congress in 2016, spending about $500,000 to help Budd emerge from a 17-way Republican primary. The group — which says it supports limited government and economic freedom — also backed Budd in his 2018 and 2020 reelection bids.

“Rep. Budd has already proven that he is a conservative champion in the House fighting against reinstating earmarks, bloated budgets, and tax increases,” Club for Growth PAC President David McIntosh said in a statement.

“Rep. Budd would be an excellent addition to the Senate and North Carolinians can always count on him to protect their taxpayer dollars and stand up to the special interests in Washington.”

Budd joins Walker, McCrory

The race to replace retiring Republican U.S. Sen. Richard Burr is getting crowded.

Former U.S. Rep. Mark Walker and former North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory have already announced their bids for the Republican nomination. Jen Banwart, a former Department of Defense employee who has pledged not to raise money for the campaign, is also running.

Walker said he welcomed Budd, whom he called a friend, to the race — and took a shot at McCrory on Wednesday, with a reference to “finally giving our state conservative leadership in the Senate and not gambling on a career politician who has lost more statewide races than he’s won.”

“All conservatives in North Carolina must stand together so we do not elect another establishment politician to the Senate who says one thing when running and does another when elected,” Walker said in a statement.

North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson said he wouldn’t seek the nomination. Lara Trump, the former president’s daughter-in-law, is still considering a bid.

Earlier this month, Budd’s campaign consultant said Budd was talking with Lara Trump about their potential runs. Budd met with Donald Trump over the weekend in Florida, Politico reported.

“He’s been talking to her. He hasn’t ceded his decision making to her, but if she got in, he wouldn’t run,” said Michael Luethy, Budd’s campaign consultant. “That said, she could get in in October and he could have been running for six months or so. It’s been a friendly conversation. He’s been trying to give her some space to make up her mind, too, while he’s working through his process separately.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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