Top NC candidates report their fundraising in US Senate race, and they’re raising millions

Editor’s note: This story was updated July 15 to reflect additional candidates’ campaign finance data.

Democrat Cheri Beasley and Republican Pat McCrory — the two candidates in North Carolina’s 2022 U.S. Senate race to have won statewide elections previously — were the top fundraisers at more than $1 million in the second quarter, according to campaign finance reports.

Beasley, a former North Carolina Supreme Court chief justice, entered the Senate race in late April. Her $1.28 million total is through June 30, the end of the second quarter of 2021, which is a reporting period for federal elections.

“North Carolinians from across the state are supporting Cheri because they know she is committed to building a better future for everyone,” said Katie Gladstone, Beasley’s campaign manager, in a statement earlier in July.

State Sen. Jeff Jackson raised $1.28 million in the first quarter of the year. He entered the race in mid-January, giving him about 10 weeks before the March 31 deadline. Jackson raised more than $700,000 in the second quarter, his campaign announced.

“We’re seeing real momentum behind the movement we’re building, and we’re overwhelmed by the support we’ve received from folks across the state,” Jackson said in a statement.

Former state Sen. Erica Smith, who finished second in the 2020 Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, will report raising more than $110,000 in the second quarter. She raised about $111,000 in the first quarter with an additional $85,000 in loans to her campaign.

“Our goal hasn’t been to raise the most money; it was to raise enough, and we’re on track to do that,” her campaign said in a statement. “We need enough resources to get our message out to the working people of North Carolina who have been the heart of our movement from the very beginning. These numbers make clear that we will.”

Beasley, Jackson and Smith are among six candidates vying for the Democratic nomination in the 2022 U.S. Senate race to replace retiring Republican Sen. Richard Burr. Beaufort Mayor Rett Newton, Chapel Hill virologist Richard Watkins and pharmacist Ava Edwards are also running for the Democratic nomination.

Watkins raised about $7,300 in the first quarter from outside donors. Newton, who entered the race in early April, did not have to report for the first quarter. Edwards raised less than $800 from outside donors in the first quarter.

GOP candidate fundraising

McCrory announced earlier in July that he would report raising $1.24 million in the second quarter, which is his first quarter in the race. McCrory entered the race officially on April 14.

“Our campaign as a Washington outsider who has solved real problems is resonating across North Carolina. We’ve proven that we are the only candidate with the record of accomplishments and the ability to marshal the resources necessary to win a statewide primary and general election against the well-funded far-left,” McCrory said in a statement.

Rep. Ted Budd, a sitting congressman who earned the endorsement of former President Donald Trump, raised $700,000 from outside contributors. He also loaned his campaign $250,000. Budd, who had $1.1 million in campaign cash left from his House races, has more than $1.7 million cash on hand.

Budd’s $250,000 loan came on the final day of the fundraising quarter, which is what current Sen. Thom Tillis did during his first Senate campaign in 2014. Tillis donated $250,000 on the final day of the third quarter in 2013, The News & Observer reported at the time.

“I appreciate that, even when facing these uncertain economic times, folks are still willing to invest their hard-earned dollars to support our shared vision of America First policies that protect and promote American jobs as priority number 1,” Budd said in a statement.

Mark Walker, a former U.S. representative, raised about $203,000 in the second quarter. Walker has raised more than $1.25 million since entering the race in December.

“The amount of support we’ve received since we launched is humbling and a testament to the importance of our record of being a conservative champion and a bridge builder,” Walker said in a statement.

The deadline for candidates to file to run in the 2022 campaign is in December and the primary is scheduled for March 8.

The 2020 U.S. Senate race in North Carolina was the most expensive in U.S. history as Tillis, the incumbent Republican, defeated Democratic challenger Cal Cunningham. More than $300 million was spent by all candidates and outside groups.

The two 2020 U.S. Senate races in Georgia, which went to a January runoff and determined control of the chamber, ended up eclipsing the North Carolina race financially.

This story was originally published July 7, 2021 at 8:50 AM.

Brian Murphy

The News & Observer

Brian Murphy is the editor of NC Insider, a state government news service. He previously covered North Carolina’s congressional delegation and state issues from Washington, D.C. for The News & Observer, The Charlotte Observer and The Herald-Sun. He grew up in Cary and graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill. He previously worked for news organizations in Georgia, Idaho and Virginia. Reach him at bmurphy@ncinsider.com.