Former 6th District Congressman Mark Walker, who announced his run for the open North Carolina Senate seat over a year ago, told the Associated Press (AP) on Thursday, Dec. 9 that he’s still in the race, for now.
According to the AP, Walker plans to release a video next week announcing his intention to take time over the holidays to consider his options and make a decision.
Walker met with former president Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago last weekend and there was much speculation that after that meeting Walker would pull out of the US Senate race and announce he was running for Congress.
The newly drawn 7th Congressional District includes a portion of Guilford County and has no incumbent. The speculation was that Walker would drop out of the Senate race and announce he was running in the 7th Congressional District.
Walker is currently running against 13th District Congressman Ted Budd and former North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory in the Republican US Senate primary. Both Walker and Budd are from the conservative wing of the Republican Party while McCory is considered more moderate.
In June, Trump made the surprise announcement that he was endorsing Budd in the Republican primary and, according to the AP, during his meeting with Walker last weekend, Trump urged Walker to withdraw from the Senate race and run for Congress.
Walker declined to run for reelection for a fourth term in the 6th District in 2020 after redistricting that resulted in the 6th District having a decided Democrat majority.
On Dec. 1, 2020, less than a month after the 2020 election, Walker announced his intention to run for the Senate seat in 2022.
The recent ruling by the North Carolina Supreme Court delaying the primary from March 8 to May 17 and suspending the filing period for an unknown period of time has provided Walker with more time to consider whether he will continue to run for the Senate or drop out of the Senate race and run for the House.
If these politicians had any sense (when does that happen?), they wouldn’t align themselves with Pres. Trump.
They should express their OWN views, even if they reflect many of the former President’s views & policies.
Despite doing a good job as President, he was hated with a passion by a lot of people. Some of that will carry over until everyone dies, and even after. We do not know how things will be in 2024, so why not wait until them to decide? Pres. Trump may lose support from his base by then.
McCrory is a RINO. He gave Charlotte toll roads – as if motorists don’t get gouged enough. That’s why he lost his re-election bid for Governor of NC. The Mecklenburg County conservative vote couldn’t stand him any more (he had been Mayor of Charlotte), for that and other reasons.
Walker is better politically, but he’s a slippery character. I’ll never forget watching a TV debate between him and Phil Berger Jr where Walker accused Berger of being unAmerican because of a Supreme Court judgement in which Berger had lost. Berger protested he didn’t know what Walker was talking about. I looked it up. Berger was right. The Supreme Court case did involve a party named Berger, but it was from the 1930’s – before Phil Berger or his father the current NC Senate Leader were even born! That is the level of mendacity that Walker is capable of.
Tedd Budd is the only real conservative here.
His instincts are right on, and he’s personally honorable.
(I am not associated with him in any way).
What has Ted Budd done to warrant support?
Tedd Budd can’t think for himself being so far up Trumps Rump. The Republican party needs to distance itself from the likes of Trump and his ego that led him to try and steal an election he lost fairly.
Still with the TDS eh, Chris (Trump Derangement Syndrome). It’s a form of mental illness, but then, so is Leftism generally.
Or Marxism
Taking up a collection to buy chris a one way ticket to Russia or China since his view aligns more with a totalitarian government in charge of every thing people think or do
I have a 20 for you, Will!
It doesn’t matter what seat he runs for I will not vote for Walker. He seems to only want to run for a seat he can win. He didn’t run again in my district because he was afraid he’d lose, so left his constituents to a Democrat after being represented by a Republican for many years. I’m not inclined to vote for someone who is afraid of a challenge.
I won’t vote for McCrory as he shouldn’t have lost to Cooper. He didn’t run a strong campaign or attempt to bring conservatives together during the election. He allowed himself to be distracted by issues that weren’t important.
I’m hoping there are new people with new ideas, preferably ones who aren’t old white men.
Deborah, I’m sure if you were in politics you’d have done the same thing.
Running a campaign costs lots of money, and those who donate to you expect you to run on your ideas of reforming government. Mark looked at the landscape and decided to focus on the Senate which would give him 2 years to plan and run a campaign, and solicit donations for a long and grueling campaign. Smart thinking if you ask me. . . .and yes, I’m proud supporter of Mark and his ideas of reforming government at the national level, and also stand with him in his Christian beliefs.
Hey! What’s wrong with old white men ??? You’re lucky I’m not thin skinned, Deborah. Or, um, old…. Yeah, definitely not old…
I am underwhelmed, I am an old white man. How did I get included in your basket of bum?
So a fat guy trying to steal the election from the citizens of the US is ok with you but an old mentally unstable guy frightens you? And you think I am the one that is crazy. Lol
It looks like Mr Walker has a dilemma. He is paying the political price of his allegiance to Trump only to be betrayed by his arch rival, Mr Meadows. Walker has worked very hard on his senate campaign, but now will have to drop out and run for the newly drawn seventh congressional district seat. Part of the dilemma is the difficulty of supporting Budd. Walker’s statements and Facebook posts have been very critical of Budd. An about face to endorse Budd over McCrory will look very disingenuous. Have to believe that at some level Walker had to know that he could not and cannot trust Trump to act with integrity.
Walker should run for Senate. He is the best choice of the three. Mr. McCrory lost an election. Mr. Budd can’t run his own campaign, he has to staple himself to Pres. Trump.
All three candidates are from the “establishment”. The GOP has been doing the same thing for years expecting different results… The definition of insanity. It’s time for some new blood, IMO. I’m going to be voting for Ken Harper. He is a super strong and outspoken conservative – the change we need, especially for the older generation of Republicans.