2022 United States Senate election in North Carolina


The 2022 United States Senate election in North Carolina was held on November 8, 2022, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of North Carolina. Republican Congressman Ted Budd won his first term in office, defeating Democratic nominee Cheri Beasley. Primary elections were scheduled for March 8, 2022, but were delayed by the North Carolina Supreme Court and rescheduled for May 17.
Incumbent three-term Republican U.S. Senator Richard Burr announced in 2016 that he would not seek reelection in 2022. Former chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court Cheri Beasley and U.S. Representative Ted Budd won the Democratic and Republican primaries, respectively. The race was considered competitive, with Budd narrowly leading in polls. Budd ultimately won with 50.5% of the vote to Beasley's 47.3%—a margin of 3.2%.
Despite ultimately winning the election, Budd's performance marked the lowest share of the vote received by any Republican running for North Carolina's Class III Senate seat since 1998.

Republican primary

With Burr's retirement, this primary was expected to be very competitive. Former U.S. Representative Mark Walker was the first major candidate to announce his candidacy, on December 1, 2020. Walker opted to retire from the House and not run for reelection in 2020 because his district was made much more favorable to the Democratic Party after redistricting. Former president Donald Trump's daughter-in-law Lara Trump was widely speculated as a possible candidate for this seat. She received encouragement and support from U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham and Kellyanne Conway, a former Trump White House official. Early opinion polls suggested she would perform well against other prospective candidates in the primary. On April 14, 2021, former governor Pat McCrory announced his candidacy. U.S. Representative Ted Budd announced his candidacy on April 28, 2021.
Opinion polls taken during April 2021 showed McCrory with a wide lead over Walker and Budd. McCrory was aided by a high degree of name recognition because of his several statewide campaigns.
On June 5, 2021, the North Carolina Republican Party held a convention in Greenville. At the convention, former president Trump announced that he was endorsing Budd for the U.S. Senate seat. Lara Trump announced that she would not be running, and joined her father-in-law in endorsing Budd. The former president also took a shot at McCrory, saying, "You can't pick people that have already lost two races, that do not stand for our values." McCrory lost both the 2008 and 2016 gubernatorial elections. Budd was reportedly unaware of Trump's intentions until 15 minutes before he took the stage. Both Walker and McCrory stated their intentions to stay in the race.
Meanwhile, North Carolina redrew its congressional maps, making Walker's house seat more favorable to Republicans than it had been before 2020. After that, Trump met with Walker and promised to endorse him if he left the Senate race to instead run for his old House seat, newly numbered as the 7th district. Walker filed to switch races, but later decided against it in favor of staying in the Senate race.
The first primary debate was held on February 26 in Raleigh. It was sponsored by the John Locke Foundation, a conservative think tank based in North Carolina. McCrory, Walker and Eastman participated. Budd was invited, but did not attend, leaving an empty podium. The first televised debate was held by WRAL-TV on April 14 and featured McCrory and Walker, with Budd once again declining to attend. A third debate was held on April 20 on Spectrum News 1. McCrory, Walker, and Eastman participated. A fourth debate, sponsored by Nexstar Media Group, was held on April 26 and aired on television stations across North Carolina, including WJZY, WNCN, WGHP, and WNCT-TV. McCrory and Walker participated. Budd declined and Eastman was not invited.
Budd won the primary overwhelmingly with over 58% of the vote. McCrory finished second with almost 25%, and Walker third with 9%. Budd won a plurality in every county in the state except for Mecklenburg, which McCrory won by under 100 votes. After the results were released, McCrory declared his political career over. He did not endorse Budd for the general election.

Candidates

Nominee

Eliminated in primary

Withdrawn

Declined

Polling

Graphical summary

Aggregate polls

Source of poll
aggregation		Dates
administered		Dates
updated		Ted
Budd		Marjorie
Eastman		Pat
McCrory		Mark
Walker		Other
Margin
Real Clear PoliticsApril 1 – May 5, 2022May 12, 202240.3%2.8%22.3%8.5%26.1%Budd +18.0

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Ted
Budd		Dan
Forest		George
Holding		Pat
McCrory		Tim
Moore		Mark
Robinson		Lara
Trump		Mark
Walker		OtherUndecided
Spry Strategies April 6–10, 2022600 ± 4.0%50%––30%–––––20%
Cygnal January 7–9, 2022600 ± 4.0%34%––33%–––––33%
WPA Intelligence December 19–21, 2021504 ± 4.4%47%––43%–––––10%
Cardinal Point Analytics April 20, 2021500 ± 6.2%2%––36%––36%10%–15%
Cygnal April 2021500 ± 4.4%–13%–14%–20%32%3%––
Meredith CollegeMarch 12–15, 2021217 ± 6.3%6%––17%––27%7%4%39%
UNLV Lee Business SchoolNovember 30 – December 2, 2020221 ± 7.0%––3%23%2%–24%7%3%39%

Democratic primary

After losing the 2020 Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, Erica Smith teased a campaign for the other Senate seat in 2022. She officially launched her campaign in March 2021. Jeff Jackson, who has represented the 37th district in the North Carolina Senate since 2014, was widely speculated as a potential candidate for Senate in 2020, but he decided to run for reelection to the State Senate instead. In fall 2020, Jackson said he would discuss a potential 2022 campaign with his family over the holiday season. In January 2021, Jackson officially launched his campaign, and began a tour of the state, holding town hall events in all 100 counties. Cheri Beasley narrowly lost her election to a full term as Chief Justice in 2020. In February 2021, it was reported that she had hired a campaign consultant and was preparing to enter the U.S. Senate race. Beasley officially launched her campaign on April 27.
In November 2021, Smith filed papers to run for North Carolina's 1st congressional district in 2022 after Representative G. K. Butterfield announced he would not seek reelection. On November 23, Smith officially launched her House campaign and ended her Senate campaign. She endorsed Beasley on November 30.
On December 16, 2021, Jackson withdrew from the race and endorsed Beasley, making Beasley the presumptive nominee.
Beasley easily won the nomination with over 81% of the vote.

Candidates

Nominee

Eliminated in primary

  • Greg Antoine, physician
  • Chrelle Booker, Tryon city councillor
  • James L. Carr Jr.
  • Robert Colon
  • Alyssia Rose-Katherine Hammond
  • Constance Johnson, perennial candidate
  • Tobias LaGrone, business owner, pastor, and counselor
  • B. K. Maginnis
  • Rett Newton, former mayor of Beaufort
  • Marcus Williams, attorney and perennial candidate

Withdrawn

Declined

Independents and third-party candidates

Libertarian Party

Declared

Green Party

Declared

  • Matthew Hoh, activist and veteran

Independents

Write-in candidates

  • Michelle Lewis, activist

Failed to make general election ballot

General election

Fundraising

In the first quarter of 2022, Beasley raised $3.6 million. In the second quarter of 2022, Beasley reported raising $7.42 million, narrowly beating a second quarter record set by Cal Cunningham in 2020.

Polling

Aggregate polls

Graphical summary

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Ted
Budd 		Cheri
Beasley 		OtherUndecided
The Trafalgar Group November 4–6, 20221,098 ± 2.9%51%45%2%1%
Data for Progress November 2–6, 20221,322 ± 2.0%51%45%3%–
East Carolina UniversityNovember 1–3, 20221,183 ± 3.3%52%47%1%–
ActiVoteAugust 5 – November 3, 2022250 ± 6.0%48%47%5%–
Remington Research Group November 1–2, 20221,140 ± 2.9%50%43%2%5%
CiviqsOctober 29 – November 2, 2022674 ± 4.9%49%49%2%1%
Meredith CollegeOctober 27–30, 2022724 ± 3.4%44%43%7%7%
Emerson CollegeOctober 27–29, 20221,000 ± 3.0%50%45%3%2%
Emerson CollegeOctober 27–29, 20221,000 ± 3.0%51%46%4%–
Cygnal October 20–22, 2022600 ± 4.0%47%43%2%7%
Marist CollegeOctober 17–20, 20221,130 ± 3.8%44%44%2%10%
Marist CollegeOctober 17–20, 2022899 ± 4.2%49%45%1%5%
The Trafalgar Group October 16–19, 20221,081 ± 2.9%48%44%3%5%
East Carolina UniversityOctober 10–13, 2022902 ± 3.8%50%44%2%5%
Wick InsightsOctober 8–13, 20221,009 ± 3.1%49%44%2%5%
Public Policy Polling October 7–8, 2022606 ± 4.0%46%45%–9%
SurveyUSASeptember 28 – October 2, 2022677 ± 4.4%43%42%2%13%
Cygnal September 24–26, 2022650 ± 3.79%44%44%2%10%
Meredith CollegeSeptember 20–23, 2022731 ± 3.3%41%41%4%14%
CiviqsSeptember 17–20, 2022586 ± 5.5%48%49%1%2%
Global Strategy Group September 12–20, 2022800 ± 3.5%46%46%––
Emerson CollegeSeptember 15–16, 20221,000 ± 3.0%46%43%3%9%
East Carolina UniversitySeptember 7–10, 20221,020 ± 3.6%49%46%1%4%
The Trafalgar Group September 1–4, 20221,079 ± 2.9%47%44%4%6%
Public Policy Polling August 29–30, 2022601 ± 4.0%41%42%6%12%
Cygnal August 13–15, 2022615 ± 3.9%42%42%3%13%
Blueprint Polling August 4–6, 2022656 ± 3.8%42%46%–12%
PEM Management Corporation July 22–24, 2022300 ± 5.7%40%43%2%15%
The Trafalgar Group June 29 – July 1, 20221,068 ± 2.9%48%45%4%3%
Cygnal June 17–19, 2022600 ± 4.0%45%40%4%11%
SurveyUSAJune 8–12, 2022650 ± 5.1%40%44%2%14%
Cygnal May 21–22, 2022600 ± 4.0%44%42%3%12%
East Carolina UniversityMay 19–20, 2022635 ± 4.5%49%42%2%7%
Meeting Street Insights May 12–16, 2022500 ± 4.4%46%45%–10%
Emerson CollegeMay 7–9, 20221,000 ± 3.0%48%41%–10%
Global Strategy Group April 28 – May 4, 2022800 ± 3.5%45%45%–10%
Emerson CollegeApril 2–4, 20221,047 ± 3.0%50%43%–8%
Cygnal March 30–31, 2022513 ± 4.3%45%43%–12%
Redfield & Wilton StrategiesNovember 10, 2021777 ± 3.5%37%36%3%18%
Redfield & Wilton StrategiesNovember 10, 2021757 ± 3.6%40%39%3%16%

Marjorie Eastman vs. Cheri Beasley

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Marjorie
Eastman 		Cheri
Beasley 		Undecided
Emerson CollegeApril 2–4, 20221,047 ± 3.0%44%44%12%

Pat McCrory vs. Cheri Beasley

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Pat
McCrory 		Cheri
Beasley 		OtherUndecided
Emerson CollegeMay 7–9, 20221,000 ± 3.0%39%44%–17%
Global Strategy Group April 28 – May 4, 2022800 ± 3.5%45%44%–11%
Emerson CollegeApril 2–4, 20221,047 ± 3.0%41%43%–17%
Cygnal March 30–31, 2022513 ± 4.3%41%41%–18%
Redfield & Wilton StrategiesNovember 10, 2021777 ± 3.5%39%37%3%15%
Redfield & Wilton StrategiesNovember 10, 2021757 ± 3.6%42%40%3%13%

Mark Walker vs. Cheri Beasley

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Mark
Walker 		Cheri
Beasley 		Undecided
Emerson CollegeApril 2–4, 20221,047 ± 3.0%47%42%11%

Generic Republican vs. generic Democrat

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Generic
Republican		Generic
Democrat		OtherUndecided
Cygnal March 30–31, 2022513 ± 4.3%50%44%–7%
Spry Strategies August 17, 2021303 ± 5.6%46%34%5%15%
Cygnal May 6–8, 2021600 ± 4.0%47%46%–6%
Cygnal March 2021600 ± 4.0%47%46%–7%

Results

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

By congressional district

Budd and Beasley each won seven of 14 congressional districts.
DistrictBuddBeasleyRepresentative
48.8%49.3%G. K. Butterfield
48.8%49.3%Don Davis
34%63%Deborah Ross
64%34%Greg Murphy
31%67%David Price
31%67%Valerie Foushee
60%37%Virginia Foxx
45%53%Kathy Manning
56%42%David Rouzer
68%30%Dan Bishop
54%44%Richard Hudson
70%28%Patrick McHenry
53%45%Madison Cawthorn
53%45%Chuck Edwards
36%62%Alma Adams
48%50%Wiley Nickel
41%57%Jeff Jackson