Why AP called North Carolina Senate race for Ted Budd
Republican U.S. Rep. Ted Budd lagged in early North Carolina vote counts but caught up to Democrat Cheri Beasley when totals from Election Day were tallied
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.WHY AP CALLED NORTH CAROLINA FOR TED BUDD
Republican U.S. Rep. Ted Budd lagged in early North Carolina vote counts but caught up to Democrat Cheri Beasley when totals from Election Day itself were tallied. That led The Associated Press to call the Senate race for Budd late Tuesday.
Beasley would have needed more than three-quarters of outstanding votes to catch up to Budd, a threshold she didn't reach in early totals.
Beasley served as chief justice of North Carolina's Supreme Court, would have been the state's first Black senator and had been the contest’s top fundraiser. But outside groups in the closing weeks pumped cash into the race, particularly on Budd’s behalf.
While Budd embraced the endorsement of former President Donald Trump, Beasley didn’t campaign with high-profile endorsers like President Joe Biden or former President Barack Obama.
Some saw that move as national Democrats’ concession that the contest might not be as winnable as other close races.
___
Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP
___
Check out https://apnews.com/hub/explaining-the-elections to learn more about the issues and factors at play in the 2022 midterm elections. Follow AP’s coverage of the elections at: https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections