To date, Ted Budd has refused to debate his primary rivals, prioritizing Mar-a-Lago fundraisers over talking with North Carolina voters. Now that the field has been set, will Budd keep his promise and agree to debate or continue, as his opponents say, “hiding from the shadows of his DC special interests?” 

“Ted Budd has proven to North Carolinians that when it comes to showing up for them, he’d rather be in Florida fundraising with Donald Trump and his MAGA buddies,” said NCDP spokesperson Kate Frauenfelder. “Budd’s decision to duck debates shows North Carolinians exactly who he’ll be accountable to and it’s not them.

Reporting from WRAL over the weekend highlighted the GOP primary as one of the most competitive races to watch in North Carolina this year. From the debate stage to brutal negative TV ads, North Carolina voters are going to be subjected to every desperate attempt by these campaigns to rise to the top of this crowded field.