Robbinsville – U.S. Rep. Ted Budd is running for the U.S. Senate and in a crowded field of 14 seeking the Republican nomination in North Carolina, the Freedom Caucus member is arguably the most conservative and the only one who is endorsed by Former President Donald Trump.
Budd leads most primary polls by wide margins, despite facing challenges from former N.C. Gov. Pat McCrory and former U.S. Rep. Mark Walker. Budd also leads in polls against Cheri Beasley, the former N.C. Supreme Court chief justice who leads a nearly equally crowded field of 11 seeking the Democratic nomination.
Budd made a campaign stop in Robbinsville on Monday, appearing at the Graham County Courthouse before a group of about 20 supporters and prospective supporters.
Budd’s pitch was a mix of conservative national politics and North Carolina-specific issues.
He said this was his second trip to Graham County, and vowed that it would not be his last – assuming he gets elected.
Budd told the gathering in Robbinsville that he ran for Congress in 2016 because he was concerned about the nation’s direction. He’s still concerned, and wants voters to elect not just a Republican for the Senate, but a conservative.
Budd owns a gun range and store in Rural Hall, where he is the local congressman. He has represented North Carolina’s 13th Congressional District since 2017. Trump endorsed Budd in June 2021, and Budd has focused on his support for Trump and Trump’s record, according to ballotpedia.org.
Budd’s website says, “Ted was elected to Congress along with President Donald Trump in 2016 and has established a strong, conservative record supporting efforts to secure our borders and stand up for America First policies.”
After greeting people as they arrived at the courthouse on Monday, Budd began his stump speech by recalling a tour of the Southern Border with a Border Patrol officer.
He said the border fence at that location wouldn’t keep cattle from crossing, much less illegal immigrants, and as the agent told Budd that he was being dispatched to arrest a drug cartel member at the border, the agent said, “We really need an administration that has our backs.”
Budd also mentioned spiking grocery and gas prices, which he blamed on President Joe Biden’s administration.
He recalled the deaths of 13 U.S. service members during the evacuation of Afghanistan.
“America’s weakness was put on display rather than its strength,” he said.
That weakness has emboldened Russia to invade Ukraine, North Korea to conduct new missile tests, and China to double down on its encroachment into the South China Sea, Budd said.
“This probably wouldn’t happen with strong leadership that puts America first,” he said.
He said issues such as Critical Race Theory run counter to the concept of a single, united nation, which “needs things that bring use together.”
Following concerns about the 2020 elections, Budd said faith has to be restored and the people need to be able to trust their institutions. “It should be easy to vote and hard to cheat,” he said.
In August of 1991, as a 20-year-old college student, he visited the then-Soviet Union including Kyiv in what is now Ukraine. He said his name badge had his name written in the Cyrillic alphabet used in Russia, and that even then, Ukrainians were wary of that Russian connection.
More locally, Budd said more effort must be directed at the opioid epidemic and bringing broadband internet to rural communities. He criticized environmentalists who he said have done more harm than good to the environment. He said education should be controlled in Raleigh and the counties and not in Washington. He opposes forgiving student loans. He said government should make it easier for people to open small businesses.
Budd described himself as a person of faith. He also said that he was raised on a farm in Davie County. Although he does not describe himself as a farmer, he says he understands agriculture and small business. He supports the Second Amendment.
The campaign
Budd was one of 33 congressional candidates Democrat Nancy Pelosi targeted in 2017 for defeat in order to regain her role as Speaker of the House. She succeeded in regaining the gavel, but failed in keeping Budd from getting elected. He said this time, it’s Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s turn to be disappointed.
During his appearance in Robbinsville on Monday, a supporter brought a mailer from an opposing candidate that claimed Budd voted against building a wall on the Southern Border. Budd pointed out that he voted against a weaker bill that included a pathway to citizenship for aliens, but voted for a stronger, better funded bill that didn’t include that pathway.
Budd has been endorsed by the National Border Control Council, the labor union that represents Border Patrol agents.
He is also endorsed by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, U.S. Reps. Jim Jordan and Elise Stefanik, and N.C. Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson.
On the other hand, U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn, U.S. Sen. Tim Scott and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee have endorsed Walker. Former presidential candidate and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan have endorsed McCrory, according to ballotpedia.org.
But Budd has Trump, who said, “This gentleman is going to be your next Senator, someone you’ll be very proud of. He’ll fight like nobody fights. I’m giving him my complete and total endorsement.”
If no candidate wins more than 30 percent of the primary vote, a runoff will be held on July 26.
Budd’s campaign website, tedbudd.com, describes him as “a conservative with the courage to stand strong for what’s right – no matter how powerful the opposition.”