Beasley/Budd Contest in the Homestretch

By Cash Michaels –

With less than a month to go before the November 8th midterm Senate election, Democrat Cheri Beasley and Republican Congressman Ted Budd (6th District) are gearing up for the homestretch of their tight contest.

On Oct. 7, 2022 Beasley and Budd faced off in their only televised statewide debate, hoping to gain an edge in their race with undecided and unaffiliated voters. The winner will succeed outgoing Republican US Senator Richard Burr and could decide whether Democrats or Republicans will take the majority in the next Congress.

No Democrat has won a US Senate seat representing North Carolina since 2008. If Beasley, a former NC Supreme Court Chief Justice, wins, she will be the first African American woman from North Carolina, and only the third Black woman from all states, to serve in the US Senate.

If Congressman Budd, a gun shop owner from Davie County, is victorious, he will prove the power of former President Donald Trump’s political endorsement. Trump led a raucous political rally for Budd and other North Carolina Republican candidates a few weeks ago in Wilmington. The controversial ex-president’s backing has kept Budd at least a few points ahead of Beasley, if not neck-and-neck by most of the latest polls.

Even though Beasley’s campaign has raised more money than Budd’s, outside groups have battered Beasley on Budd’s behalf, raising concerns that national Democrats are not supporting her race adequately. Thus far, Beasley has been accused of supporting President Joe Biden’s economic policies, which Republicans call inflationary, and being “soft on crime.”

She has denied those charges and fastidiously kept her distance from both Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

In their debate on Oct. 7, Beasley tried to make Budd’s close relationship with Trump a negative, hoping that most unaffiliated voters would agree.

Trump “represents the most extremist policies and ideology … the reality is Congressman Budd has aligned himself with somebody who is truly extremist in this race, and that’s a reflection on him,” the former chief justice charged.

Budd defended Trump, saying the economy was better under him, and won North Carolina both in 2016 and 2020.

Budd also made clear that he believed Trump won the 2020 election over Joe Biden, though he did concede that Biden is the president now. Budd also agreed to accept the results of his race with Beasley should he ultimately lose.

While Budd tried to nail Beasley on Biden’s shortcomings. Beasley counterpunched with his support for the controversial US Supreme Court July decision striking down Roe v. Wade guaranteeing abortion rights. Polls show that freedom of choice is an issue of deep concern for women across the country, and a weak spot for Republicans.

Budd is against abortion rights, and Beasley would not let women watching the debate forget it.

“Congressman Budd wants to be in between a woman and her doctor, and there is no place in the exam room for Congressman Budd,” Beasley sharply charged.

Budd retorted that Beasley was an abortion “extremist.”