The North Carolina Senate Race Is On

Cheri Beasley, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in North Carolina, raised over $7.42 million in the second quarter of 2022, which is over twice what she raised in the last quarter, per her campaign, according to the News Observer.

The number would beat a prior second-quarter fundraising record established in 2020 by Democratic senate nominee Cal Cunningham. Cunningham raised $28.3 million in the third quarter of that year.

Beasley and GOP House Representative Ted Budd of North Carolina will face off in November after Senator Richard Burr (R) did not seek reelection, setting up a heated contest in the swing state. The race is considered to be one of the closest in the nation as Senate Republicans push to gain a majority over both chambers of congress.

Budd’s fundraising dollars from the beginning of last year until June 30, 2022, come in at over $6.3 million total. From April of last year until June 30 of this year, Beasley raised over $16 million.

Beasley was previously a chief justice of the state Supreme Court and secured 81% of the May 17th primary vote in a field of 11 candidates. Budd won the primary in a field of 14 Republican candidates.

As of April 27, Budd had reported totals reported at over $4.5 million. Budd’s campaign reportedly referenced Beasley’s announcement in a fundraising email last week, stating, “we cannot let her overwhelm us in fundraising.”

Beasley released an attack ad against Budd on Friday, pointing to the cost of insulin for Americans. Her campaign told Axios that the television spot cost six figures, and will be shown throughout North Carolina.

“If you live outside the U.S., a month’s supply of this insulin costs about $16. But here, it’s more than $220. And get this, when Congress had a chance to do something, politicians like Ted Budd voted against it,” Beasley tweeted on Friday.

“It’s time to stand up to the drug companies and put you first,” she concluded.

🌎: $16
🇺🇸: $220

That’s the average cost a month for insulin. Politicians had the chance to make insulin affordable, and Ted Budd voted against it.

1.3 million North Carolinians living with diabetes deserve a Senator who will make insulin more affordable. Watch our latest ad: pic.twitter.com/LSHatnVtmG

— Cheri Beasley (@CheriBeasleyNC) July 15, 2022

In a statement to Axios, Budd senior advisor Jonathan Felts said, “It’s only July, but Cheri Beasley is already a desperate candidate out of ideas and forced to fall back on the same distorted negative attacks that delivered Democrat losses in N.C. over the past decade.”

Last week, Budd posted a video on Twitter, linking Beasley to Biden’s policies, saying, “my opponent, Cheri Beasley, she has supported Joe Biden every step of the way. Beasley supports Biden’s reckless spending. Beasley supports Biden’s tax increases. And Beasley supports Biden’s war on American energy.”

He added, “Cheri Beasley would vote to continue each and every policy that has made life worse for North Carolinians.”

The inflation rate is now 9.1 percent.

If Cheri Beasley is NC’s next Senator, nothing will change.

If I’m your Senator, I will always vote to make life better for you and your family. #ncsen #ncpol pic.twitter.com/ZNWOeLvnNY

— Ted Budd (@TedBuddNC) July 13, 2022

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