Rep. Ted Budd won the Republican nomination for Senate, the Associated Press said shortly after polls closed Tuesday. The AP called the Democratic primary for Cheri Beasley.  

Budd has been the frontrunner in the polls for months. He’s been campaigning for the nomination since last year and has the endorsement of former President Donald Trump.

What You Need To Know

  • Ted Budd won the Republican primary for Senate, with a wide margin over former Gov. Pat McCrory

  • Former N.C. Supreme Court Justice Cheri Beasley won the Democratic nomination

  • Beasley and Budd will face off in the Nov. 8 General Election to fill the seat left vacant when Sen. Richard Burr retires at the end of this term

  • Budd led in the polls during the primary campaign and had the endorsement of former President Donald Trump

With more than 90% of the vote counted, Budd had about 59% of votes cast, leading former Gov. Pat McCrory who trailed with 25% as of 11 p.m.

Former North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Cheri Beasley has been the presumptive Democratic nominee for months. She won almost 81% of the early vote as of 11 p.m.

"North Carolina, I am honored to be your nominee. And I’m honored to stand with all of you, and on the shoulders of the many trailblazers who came before, to be the first African American woman to be your Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate," she said Tuesday night, accepting the nomination.

"As your Senator, I will fight to lower costs - from prices at the pump to prescription drugs. I will work to expand the Affordable Care Act and Medicare to ensure that people in every part of North Carolina have access to the care they need," Beasley said.

In his acceptance speech, Budd turned his attention to the General Election and the campaign against Beasley. "If we send her to Washington, she will enable every element of Joe Biden’s agenda," he said Tuesday night.

"Under Joe Biden, America is woke and broke," he said. "We need to put the brakes on this agenda for the sake of hardworking North Carolinians."

Budd gave credit to Trump for helping his campaign. "He caused people to focus on this race, pay attention to me," he said.

Beasley has been campaigning for the General Election since North Carolina Democrats rallied behind her candidacy. That’s given her a head start in what’s sure to be a tough campaign ahead of the General Election in November.

“Club for Growth PAC is proud to have played a role in helping Rep. Ted Budd secure the nomination,” Club for Growth PAC President David McIntosh said in a statement. Club for Growth is a conservative super PAC and has been a big donor to Budd's campaign. 

“North Carolina voters understood that Budd was the only principled conservative in the race and he will stand up to Biden’s radical socialist agenda,” McIntosh said.

In a statement after he conceded the GOP primary, McCrory said, "While I’m disappointed by the election results tonight, I’m proud of the race we ran.  We told the truth, championed conservative principles and results, and made character and achievement central to our message."

"I’ll continue to advocate for the kind of Republican party that believes in truth, integrity, vigorous debate, character and achievement.  I still believe in that party, and that our obligation to the next generation is more important than the next election.  I look forward to participating in that conversation in the future,” he said.  

"In 2022, the stakes could not be higher. North Carolina Democrats are proud to stand with Cheri as we work to do everything we can to flip this seat,” North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Bobbie Richardson said in a statement.

"As North Carolina’s next U.S. Senator, Cheri will be an independent and fierce advocate for North Carolina and continue her work to provide opportunity for families across the state, a stark contrast to the misguided priorities of whichever damaged Republican nominee emerges from their divisive primary," Richardson said.