Republicans hold key North Carolina Senate seat

House Freedom Caucus member Rep. Ted Budd prevailed in North Carolina’s battleground Senate race, once again dashing Democrats’ long-running quest for a Senate seat in the Tar Heel State.

Budd’s defeat of Cheri Beasley, a former state supreme court judge who Democrats had hoped would be the state’s first Black senator, is the latest blow to a party that has poured hundreds of millions of dollars into North Carolina since 2008 — without a Senate or presidential victory to show for it.

Budd is one of the most conservative members in the House and was endorsed by former President Donald Trump. His win marks a notable shift to the right from the seat’s current occupant, retiring GOP Sen. Richard Burr, who voted to convict the former president during his second impeachment trial. It’s also a worrying sign for Democrats’ future efforts in North Carolina just two years after President Joe Biden narrowly lost the state to Donald Trump.

The state’s other GOP senator, Thom Tillis, has styled himself as a bipartisan deal-maker since his reelection in 2020 — another prime pick-up opportunity for Democrats that was crushed by a sex scandal and a stronger-than-expected showing by Trump.

In his victory speech, Budd thanked Tillis for everything he's "done for our state" and said he "cannot wait to partner with [him] in the U.S. Senate and do great things for our state and for our country as well."

Stung by that loss, national Democrats prioritized Senate races in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and a handful of other states over North Carolina this midterm season. But as polls showed a tight race in the final stretch, state Democrats urged the party to send any resources possible.

Beasley during the campaign zeroed in on Budd’s support for abortion restrictions and his ties to Trump, including his vote against the certification of the 2020 election. But it wasn’t enough. Budd continued to hammer Beasley and Democrats over inflation, immigration and crime while securing a critical boost from Trump on the campaign trail.

"Mr. President, I also can say we're ready to stop the Biden-Beasley agenda and make America great again," Budd said alongside Trump at a rally in Wilmington.

On Election Day, he encouraged people to vote in a series of tweets, documenting his travels throughout North Carolina to speak with voters.

"Made a few more stops where I met with folks who are ready to stop the Biden/Beasley agenda," Budd tweeted. "North Carolina there is still plenty of time to go VOTE!"

Budd, unlike most other Republicans in tough Senate races, often leaned into his support for abortion restrictions. He co-sponsored a bill from Sen. Lindsey Graham that would ban abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, with exceptions for rape, incest and pregnancies that threaten maternal health. He’s previously backed legislation that would ban abortions when cardiac activity is detected, which can be around six weeks of pregnancy, before many people know they are pregnant.

In their October debate, Budd declined to say how he would write his own abortion bill. He instead said he has “always been about protecting the life of the mother” and “want[s] to save as many unborn lives as possible.”

Shayna Greene contributed to this report.