WASHINGTON – U.S. congressman Ted Budd, endorsed by former President Donald Trump, defeated former North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory in the Republican primary to succeed retiring U.S. Senator Richard Burr, Edison Research projected on Tuesday.
Budd’s victory – a sign of Trump’s continued influence in the party – means he will face Democrat Cheri Beasley, a former state chief justice, in the Nov. 8 congressional election.
The race is crucial to Republican hopes of regaining control of a Senate narrowly held by President Joe Biden’s fellow Democrats. Burr is a Republican.
Biden’s public approval rating is at 42%, with 50% of Americans disapproving of his performance, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll completed on Tuesday.
(Writing by Makini Brice; Editing by Will Dunham and Ross Colvin)
