Kelly Daughtry, the candidate who finished first in the Republican nomination primary race for a North Carolina congressional seat, has decided to suspend her campaign. Daughtry cited her rival Brad Knott’s endorsement by former President Donald Trump in the upcoming runoff election as the reason for her decision. Although Daughtry had the most votes among 14 candidates in the primary, she did not reach the 30% threshold needed to win outright, leading to a runoff between her and Knott. With Trump’s endorsement of Knott, Daughtry felt that a pathway to victory was no longer feasible and decided to suspend her campaign.
Daughtry expressed her respect for the democratic process and Trump’s endorsement of Knott in a social media post announcing her decision to suspend her campaign. She also endorsed Knott and pledged her support for him in the runoff election. Despite her decision to suspend her campaign, it is too late to remove Daughtry’s name from the ballot, as early in-person voting for the runoff is already underway, and absentee balloting has been taking place for weeks. Knott accepted Daughtry’s endorsement but reminded supporters that the election is not over and encouraged them to vote on May 14.
The North Carolina 13th Congressional District, where the runoff is taking place, covers all or parts of eight counties and includes most of Raleigh, the state capital. The current district is represented by first-term Democratic Rep. Wiley Nickel, who declined to seek reelection due to redistricting that skewed his district to the right politically. With Nickel and other Democratic incumbents not running, the GOP runoff winner will face a Democratic rival in Frank Pierce in the fall election. The departure of Democratic incumbents could have significant implications for the balance of power in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The runoff election in the North Carolina 13th District has become highly competitive following Daughtry’s decision to suspend her campaign and endorse Knott. While Knott has received endorsements from Trump and other primary candidates, the outcome of the election remains uncertain. The runoff election will determine the Republican nominee who will face Democratic candidate Frank Pierce in the fall election. Both parties are closely watching the race, as it could influence the balance of power in the U.S. House of Representatives. Voters in the district are encouraged to participate in the runoff election on May 14 to determine the final outcome.
