After Donald Trump’s endorsement of Rep. Ted Budd in June in the North Carolina Republican Senate primary field failed to make him the clear frontrunner, the former president brokered a deal over the weekend that bolsters Budd’s chances significantly, Politico reported on Monday.
As part of the arrangement agreed upon during a meeting at Mar-a-Lago on Saturday, Trump pledged to endorse former GOP Rep. Mark Walker, who is currently in third place in the Senate primary, if he drops out of the contest and runs again for the House instead of in the state’s 7th District.
The agreement was deemed necessary because, despite Trump’s endorsement and the multimillion-dollar backing from Club for Growth’s super PAC, Budd continued to trail in polls for the GOP Senate primary behind former North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory.