Former Gov. Pat McCrory lost the Republican US Senate primary, but in his concession speech on Tuesday night, May 17, he sounded like he’s still running.

According to media reports it was supposed to be a close race, but McCrory got wiped out by 13th District Congressman Ted Budd in the Republican Senate primary. Budd more than doubled McCory’s vote total winning with 58.5 percent of the vote to 25.6 for McCrory.

McCrory managed to win Mecklenburg County where he had been mayor of Charlotte for 14 years, but only by 100 votes.  Budd won pretty much everywhere else.

What was missing from McCrory’s concession speech was an endorsement of his fellow Republican, Budd, in his race against Democrat Cheri Beasley, who is a former chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme.

With the US Senate currently split with 50 Republicans and 50 Democrats, each Senate race in November is considered critical by both parties.

But McCrory indicated he’s not sure who is going to support in the fall.  He congratulated Budd for his victory but in the same breath congratulated Beasley for hers.

McCrory said, “First of all I want to congratulate Congressman Budd.  I also want to congratulate Cheri Beasley.”

McCrory said, “Right now we have to do an evaluation of our party.  I want to let you know that you have leverage in this race coming up.  You have leverage because our party has got to recognize you as being commonsense conservatives, like I am.”

McCrory even took a swipe at Budd for not participating in the debates.  McCrory had attempted to make that into a campaign issue, but judging from the vote totals it didn’t resonate with the voters.

Voters had a host of choices in the primary – 14 Republicans and 11 Democrats on the ballot.  But in November it’s going to come down to the Republican Budd and the Democrat Beasley.

So far McCrory hasn’t said who he is going to support.