Zinke – US Interior Secretary under President Trump – says Ted Budd Will Never Back Away from a Fight to Protect Personal Liberty

(Advance, NC) – Today, the Honorable Ryan Zinke (US Interior Secretary under President Trump who previously served in the US Congress and as a US Navy SEAL) endorsed Ted Budd for US Senate.

“I’ve worked with a few fighters in my time, and I know that Ted Budd is a fighter who will never back away from the fight to protect personal liberty and advocating for less government and more and better opportunities for North Carolina’s working families,” said Zinke. “During my tenure with President Trump, we always knew that Ted Budd had our back and would always support an America First Agenda that protected and promoted American jobs.”

“Ryan Zinke knows what it means to be in a fight and what it takes to stay in the fight,” said Ted Budd. “I was on the front lines helping President Trump and Secretary Zinke fight back against the Woke Socialist Agenda of the radical Left and I’m ready to take that fight to the US Senate. I thank Secretary Zinke for his service and for his support of my campaign. And I look forward to serving with him again in 2023 when he returns to Congress in service to the good people of Montana.”

Republicans continue to consolidate support around Ted Budd who has now been endorsed by President Donald Trump, Gingrich, US Senator Cynthia Lummis, 14 US House colleagues, 51 NC Legislators, and 14 NC Sheriffs. Ted Budd has also been endorsed by the Dairy Farmers of America, the Senate Conservatives Fund, the National Border Patrol Council, the Gun Owners of America, and the Club for Growth.

“Ted has the best chance to win this seat in November and
help the GOP take back the majority in the US Senate.”

(Advance, NC) – Last week, in case you missed it, former Speaker of the US House Newt Gingrich endorsed Ted Budd for US Senate, praising Ted Budd’s conservative credentials. Gingrich, a Conservative icon, led Republicans back to the majority for the first time in generations as a Republican leader in the US House and continues to be a Conservative thought leader and champion.

Republicans continue to consolidate support around Ted Budd who has now been endorsed by President Donald Trump, Gingrich, US Senator Cynthia Lummis, 14 US House colleagues, 51 NC Legislators, and 14 NC Sheriffs. Ted Budd has also been endorsed by the Dairy Farmers of America, the Senate Conservatives Fund, the National Border Patrol Council, the Gun Owners of America, and the Club for Growth.

Statement from former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich
“Ted Budd is the best candidate to serve North Carolina in the US Senate. He understands what North Carolinians need to make their lives better, and he knows what they want in a US Senator.

Ted will work to reverse President Biden’s inflationary policies that are hurting working families at the grocery store and at the gas pump. He will defend the Second Amendment. And Ted will work to stop Biden’s open borders agenda, which is only helping dangerous people line their pockets from the drug trade and human trafficking.

Finally, Ted has the best chance to win this seat in November and help the GOP take back the majority in the U.S. Senate. I’m proud to endorse Ted Budd and urge North Carolinians to vote for him in the Republican primary.”

“Newt Gingrich has been a leader in the Conservative movement for as long as I’ve been voting and I am honored to have his support,” said Ted Budd. “All the so-called experts told Speaker Gingrich that Republicans could never win the majority, but he proved them wrong. The next generation of so-called experts told me I could never win this senate race last year when I declared, but now we are in a dead heat and only accelerating. Newt won, and we will win by championing Conservative policies to help working families reach their full potential instead of more government bureaucracy that stifles innovation and opportunities.”

Ted Budd is a small businessman raised in Davie County where he and his wife, Amy Kate, live today with their three children and Boone, their dog. Ted was elected to Congress along with President Donald Trump in 2016 and has established a strong, conservative record supporting efforts to secure our borders and stand up for America First policies that protect American jobs and increase opportunities for working men and women across North Carolina. Ted has spent his career as a small businessman and presently owns and operates a gun store and training center.

“Ted Budd is a leader who will fight for the America First agenda that best protects and promotes American jobs.”

(Advance, NC) – Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R, NY-21) today endorsed Ted Budd for US Senate, noting his background as a small business owner and praising his commitment to job creation. Stefanik is in US House Leadership, serving as the Chair of the House Republican Conference.

“Ted Budd grew up in a family with a small business like I did,” said Stefanik. “We both learned first-hand the hard work, perseverance, and teamwork necessary to build, operate, and grow small businesses. Ted Budd and I have stood shoulder to shoulder fighting for policies that grow our economy, not just in big cities but in small towns as well. I’m endorsing Ted because I know he is a leader who will fight for the America First agenda that best protects and promotes American jobs.”

Stefanik was first elected in 2014 and is the youngest woman ever elected to the US Congress. She serves on three House committees: Armed Services; Education & Labor; and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Stefanik was a member of President Trump’s impeachment defense team during the Senate’s first impeachment trial.

“No one works harder than Elise Stefanik when it comes to job creation and I am honored to have her support for my campaign for US Senate,” said Ted Budd. “The accents might be a bit different in her district in upstate New York, but the challenges to economic growth in smaller towns are similar to what we face in North Carolina. I appreciate her efforts to help small business owners grow and provide more and better opportunities for their communities.”

Stefanik and Budd have cosponsored legislation condemning anti-Semitic hatred; to block sex offenders from immigrating to the US; and eliminate bureaucracy hindering opioid addiction treatments.

“Ted understands the importance of securing America’s economic future and combatting China.”

(Advance, NC) – Governor Pat McCrory has dismissed the importance of endorsements for months, but yesterday, McCrory’s top advisor Jordan Shaw disagreed, noting the importance of legislative endorsements and saying that such endorsements “carry with them a network of grassroots and financial supporters that can be mobilized in primary contests.” Today US Senator Cynthia Lummis endorsed Ted Budd for US Senate. Prior to serving in the US Senate, Lummis served in the US House, the Wyoming House, and the Wyoming Senate. So, she’s well-credentialed as a legislator on both the state and federal levels.

Lummis is the first US Senator to endorse Ted Budd and joins 49 NC legislators (current & former), 14 NC Sheriffs (current & former), 5 Members of Congress (current & former), and  the many more to come. Despite being in the fourth decade of his political career, Governor Pat McCrory has been endorsed by nobody for US Senate.

“Ted Budd has shown time and again his commitment to conservative values, the Constitution, and advancing a strong America First agenda for the people of North Carolina,” said Lummis. “As a conservative leader, Ted has advocated for policies to rein in out-of-control spending, secure the southern border, and fight for working families across his state. Ted understands the importance of securing America’s economic future and combatting China by embracing the use of digital assets and blockchain technology to ensure our continued role as the world’s financial leader. I’m pleased to endorse Ted Budd and look forward to working alongside him in the United States Senate.”

Lummis serves on three US Senate Committees: Environment & Public Works; Commerce, Science, & Transportation; and Banking, Housing, & Urban Development. In addition to being widely recognized as a Conservative Champion who doesn’t back down from anyone or anything when it comes to fighting for personal liberty and freedom, Lummis is considered by many to be the top expert on cryptocurrency and block   chain technologies in the US Senate.

“US Senator Cynthia Lummis never backs down from fighting for our freedom and independence,” said Ted Budd. “She’s a champion for community banks and more traditional financial services but she also recognizes the importance of financial services innovations and how those innovations can help working families achieve greater financial independence. I’m honored to have her support.”

“While the McCrory team might be in disagreement and disarray over the importance of endorsements, here at Ted Budd’s campaign, we know endorsements are a big help when it comes to organizing and mobilizing at the grassroots level,” said Senior Advisor Jonathan Felts. “Lummis is well known and well respected among Conservatives across the country who heavily influence the outcome of Republican primaries in their states, and we are thrilled to have her help keeping the pedal to the metal as we drive the Liberal Agenda Crusher across North Carolina picking up support.”

And – Special Bonus – ICYMI Graphics!

(Advance, NC) – Ted Budd for US Senate today announced that January was their best month yet for fundraising just one day after it was revealed that Governor Pat McCrory’s fundraising has fallen by 25% in the last quarter of 2021, McCrory’s 32nd year as a career politician. Ted Budd for US Senate raised over $400K for the month.

“This validates what I said yesterday,” said Ted Budd. “We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us, but my January numbers confirm that we’ve got the momentum to win and we are only accelerating.”

With NASCAR, given their cool graphics and fast cars, it’s pretty easy to see the momentum. In Politics it’s not quite as colorful, or exciting. It’s…basically screen shots from Twitter. But if you want to see what momentum in a campaign looks like (or what it looks like when a campaign is running out of gas and/or sitting on flat tires), we’ve helpfully collated some of yesterday’s best examples. You’re welcome #NCPOL.

Momentum – Ted Budd is the winner per Inside Elections.

Running Out Of Gas-1 – Ted Budd has the momentum and
Governor McCrory is “dwindling” per WRAL.

Running Out Of Gas-2 – National analysis (The Cook Report) not great for Governor McCrory either. And yeah, McCrory definitely doesn’t want his fundraising going the same way as his polling.

Four Flat Tires – And the Cook analysis is just as bad for one of the five other Republican candidates who claim to be running. (Pro-Tip – “futile” is never how a candidate wants their campaign to be described).

And, back to WRAL, while Governor McCrory pronounced himself proud to fall to second place (vividly described by Dale Earnhardt), our Senior Advisor was, per usual, both appreciative and subtle.

Ted Budd Races Into 2022 With Momentum and
More Than $2.2M Cash-On-Hand
Ted Budd Raises $968,360.18 in Q4
Ted Budd Outraises the HMS McCrory by $220,000

(Advance, NC) – Ted Budd for US Senate filed the 2021 Q4 FEC report today indicating that his campaign raised $968,360.18 in Q4 last year (helpful tip: the full total raised is line item 16 on page 3) and continued to invest in after-market upgrades to ensure that the Liberal Agenda Crusher will be running at top speed on the drive to victory in November.

!!!BREAKING NEWS ALERT!!!
This just in! Ted Budd outraised Governor Pat McCrory by more than $220,000 and did NOT see his fundraising drop by 25% the way Governor McCrory saw his fundraising drop.
(We now return you to the previously-written press release.)

“My campaign has been leading in the polls and in grassroots organization and now we’re leading in fundraising,” said Ted Budd. “NASCAR is starting again in just a few weeks, and I’ve got what every NASCAR driver wants, all the momentum and a clear path to Victory Lane. Amy Kate and I appreciate everyone who has invested in a better tomorrow by supporting our fight for America First policies that protect and promote American jobs.”

For those of you who prefer pictures to words, please see the following, pretty-much-obligatory How It Started/How It’s Going infographic representing the McCrory campaign:

Q4 Frequently Asked Questions No Voters Care About
But Political Dorks Like to Opine (or Whine) About
Featuring…
Jonathan Felts, Senior Advisor to Ted Budd for US Senate

Are you spiking the football?
No. We’re just stating the facts. But we’re not even to half-time yet and we fully recognize there’s a lot of hard work ahead of us. We might be political dorks but we watch football too and if we’ve learned anything over the past two weekends, it’s that it ain’t over ‘til it’s over. We’re not taking anything for granted.

Do you feel good about this report?
Yes. A lot better now than I did last week when I first drafted this release. It ain’t sexy but it’s a good, solid number. Members of the national press corps suffering from Extreme TDS will quibble, but by any metric that matters, we’re the campaign with the momentum on a path to victory. You always want more but:
• we outraised our closest competitor in Q4 by more than $220,000 and we saw external polls indicating Ted Budd in the lead for the first time;
• the investment to expand our donor base is working – more donors and more donations than any previous quarter;
• we’re the only campaign making thousands of volunteer voter contacts per week with Budd Crew Chiefs and grassroots organizations all 100 counties;
• we keep racking up key endorsements, most recently from farmers;
• we’ve only been climbing in every poll while the HMS McCrory is sinking.

Burn rate? I know you outraised all of your Republican primary opponents and have more cash-on-hand than them, but they keep harassing me about it.
We’ve been very transparent that we’re making a big investment now to build a low-dollar army online. There’s no magic button to make it happen. If you’re a Republican candidate running a modern campaign and you’re serious about winning in November, you have to make the investment early and often to build your online donor file so that it’s paying off when it counts in the general election. Does it make an old school guy like me a bit nervous? Sure. Is it already paying off? Absolutely. Are we going to stop making that investment? Nope. So cut-and-paste this answer for the next quarter. January is shaping up to be our best month ever and that’s in large part due to the low-dollar donor file.

So, you really do feel good about it all in all?
Absolutely. One opponent has a sinking ship, and one has a bus but no gas money. None of them have a path to victory. We’ve got the Liberal Agenda Crusher gassed up and accelerating down the Trump Lane to Victory Lane. And we’re making the smart investments to only keep accelerating.

Dairy Farmers of America Represents More Than 12,500 Family Farmers in North Carolina and Across the USA

(Advance, NC) – The Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) today announced their support of Ted Budd for US Senate. The DFA represents more than 12,500 family farmers across the United States. According to the North Carolina Dairy Association, there are 145 dairy farm operations in North Carolina. Ted Budd fought hard to include America First protections for US farmers in the United States-Mexico-Canada [Trade] Agreement (USMCA) signed into law by President Donald Trump. Earlier this month, Budd pushed the US Trade Representative to use that new enforcement mechanism to protect American jobs.

“America First policies protect and promote American jobs including our farmers,” said Ted Budd. “When the Establishment said it was impossible to get a fairer free-trade deal, President Trump told his team to ignore the naysayers and secure a better deal. I supported President Trump’s efforts and we got stronger enforcement mechanisms. Just this month, that new tool was used to protect our dairy farmers and American jobs when Canadian dairy exports threatened our dairy farmers.

“It’s been my privilege to support family farmers during my time in Congress and I’m honored that the Dairy Farmers of America have decided to support me as the best choice to fight for North Carolina’s farmers in the US Senate,” Budd continued. “It’s ridiculous that the government makes it so hard for a farmer to pass their farm to the next generation, so I’m fighting hard to get rid of the death tax once and for all. Our dairy farmers, and all farmers, help make our country great and I’m going to continue fighting for North Carolina farmers in the US Senate.”

Kent Herman
Chairman, DFA’s Southeast Area & Partner & Operator, Herman Dairy Farm
We take pride in what we do and our service to our communities. Farming is a way of life for us. Most of our member farms have been passed down from one generation to the next. Too often, our biggest challenge is the out-of-control federal government. We need someone in the U.S. Senate who will fight for family farmers and that’s why we are supporting Ted Budd for U.S. Senate. Ted Budd fights against the bureaucrats who want to regulate us out of business. Ted Budd fights for better free trade policies that help American farmers. And Ted Budd will fight for a tax policy that doesn’t punish a farmer for wanting to pass the family farm to the next generation. The Dairy Farmers of America strongly supports Ted Budd for the U.S. Senate.

Political Commentary from the Political Guy &
**Bonus**
Clever Colloquialisms Fresh from the Farm

“Despite Governor Pat McCrory’s personal attacks against Ted’s father and the distortions and wacky conspiracy theories put forth by the Washington DC Super-PAC supporting McCrory, hard-working family farmers know the truth that Ted Budd is their friend and best choice for the US Senate,” said Jonathan Felts, Senior Advisor to Ted Budd for US Senate.

“North Carolina farmers choosing to support Ted Budd instead of him must be a hard row to hoe for Governor McCrory,” Felts continued. “But the reality is North Carolina farmers think it’s time for career politicians like Governor McCrory to be put out to pasture.”

Will Cheri Beasley Copycat Democrat Darling Beto O’Rourke and Hide from Biden?

(Raleigh, N.C.) – Democrat National Darling Beto O’Rourke, was today quoted in Politico that he absolutely does NOT want Joe Biden anywhere close to his campaign (blurb below). Since Cheri Beasley recently tried, but failed, to distance herself from the defund the police Democratic politicians, is she now going to try, but fail, to distance herself from Joe Biden?

“Governor Pat McCrory and his campaign minions, suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome since June 5 of last year, have spent months trashing President Trump and making false claims to reporters and major donors that President Trump will be a problem for Republicans in the general election,” said Jonathan Felts, Senior Advisor to the Ted Budd campaign. “They’re so obsessed with trashing President Trump, that they forget what the real problem is in 2022 – Joe Biden and his Woke, Left-Wing policies. Republican nominees aren’t going to have a problem because of Donald Trump. Democratic nominees will be the ones wearing the Biden anchor as they try to swim upstream against defund the police insanity and record-setting inflation.”

Felts challenged the NC Press Corps to be as motivated about Biden as they are about Trump.

“Based on this past Friday, I know for a fact that NC reporters lovvvvvvve to obsess about unsourced gossip in Politico,” Felts continued. “I hope they’ll be just as committed to well-sourced (it’s the actual candidate saying it on the record) news in Politico. We’ll gladly host a rally with President Trump in North Carolina whenever and wherever. Will Cheri Beasley do the same with Joe Biden? Cheri Beasley can stand with a guy who dresses like a cartoon animal or Cheri Beasley can stand with a guy who governs like Jimmy Carter. Which one is it going to be?

Politico Weekly Score Blurb (emphasis Politico’s)
THANKS, BUT NO THANKS — Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) doesn’t want help for Biden on his gubernatorial campaign, the Dallas Morning News’ Philip Jankowski wrote. O’Rourke is challenging GOP Gov. Greg Abbott, after losing to Cruz in 2018 and dropping out of the presidential primary in 2020. “I’m not interested in any national politician — anyone outside of Texas — coming into this state to help decide the outcome of this,” O’Rourke said. “I think we all want to make sure that we’re working with, listening to and voting with one another here in Texas.”

NOTE: While it has been widely documented that Beto is a Furry, we have no evidence, yet, that Cheri Beasley is also a Furry and are not implying that in any way, shape, or form.

McCrory’s Own Campaign Announces that the HMS McCrory Keeps Sinking Lower…and Lower…and Lower and then the John Locke Foundation Reconfirms that Republican Voters are Abandoning the Sinking McCrory

(Raleigh, N.C.) – For some reason, Pat McCrory’s own campaign yesterday announced that Pat McCrory keeps sinking lower and lower in public opinion surveys. Today, the John Locke Foundation reconfirmed that the HMS McCrory is sinking.

Click here for the smart guy memo from our pollster, Rob Autry of Meeting Street Insights. But if you want to cut to the chase, Jonathan Felts, the campaign’s Senior Advisor, answers your FAQs below. Don’t miss the not-particularly-subtle Dean Smith reminder that Governor McCrory has been a career politician for a lonnnnnnnnnnnng time.

Felts FAQs

Why does McCrory’s campaign keeps releasing survey data showing that he’s doing nothing but trending down and has been since day one?

They probably hope reporters (and major donors) will just look at a simple head-to-head matchup as if the election were held today. We, of course, have the utmost respect for the press corps and know them to be much more sophisticated than that and are confident that reporters know to look for trend lines to see where the numbers are going to be on Election Day, the day that matters. Team Budd plays to win on Election Day. Team McCrory played to win on the first day. That’s why McCrory won’t be around for the post-season.

I read these surveys and it’s clear that McCrory is going to run out of runway before he can get his campaign off the ground. That seems like something your campaign would be emphasizing more than his own campaign would doesn’t it?

I agree with you but look, desperate campaigns make desperate plays, and the McCrory folks are clearly desperate. Ted Budd’s numbers have been going up in every McCrory poll and Pat
McCrory’s numbers have been going down. The only numbers going up for Governor McCrory are his Unfavorables. It makes the McCrory campaign pitch seem a bit oxymoronic (emphasis
on moronic) “I’m the most electable and to prove it, let me show you survey numbers where I’m sinking in the polls except for my Unfavorables which keep going up!”

Also, not to quibble, but please see above. We prefer the metaphor of the McCrory campaign being a sinking ship rather than a crashing airplane.

Speaking of desperate, has there been a major shakeup in the McCrory campaign? Public Opinion Strategies (POS) did the previous McCrory surveys but not this one. Did McCrory’s campaign fire Public Opinion Strategies?

Desperate campaigns tend to shake things up when they’re losing ground so it would make sense for McCrory to shake things up, but I don’t know the answer. Maybe they weren’t getting
the numbers they wanted from POS and needed a quickie push-poll to generate some “positive” news to prevent even more of their donors from abandoning their sinking ship? Who knows? But great question – very sophisticated!

So you’re not worried about the fact that Ted Budd is not in the lead yet?

Nope. Not even remotely. Governor McCrory must’ve thought the rabbit was the hero of The Tortoise and the Hare, but we know that slow and steady wins the race. We will lead on May 17 and go on to victory in November. The trendlines in McCrory’s very own surveys indicate that he’s always going the wrong way and Ted Budd is always going the right way.

The four corners offense (stalling for lack of a better term for you non-sports types) might’ve worked well for Dean Smith four decades ago when Governor McCrory started his career in politics, but it’s not how you win today. You win by taking it to the hoop and putting points on the board every day and every play. Every survey taken since this campaign began has shown Ted Budd to be the guy putting points on the board. And the same surveys show Governor McCrory to be the aging star who stayed too long and can barely make it up and down the court.

You had to Google that “four corners” reference, didn’t you?

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