President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are both unpopular with a majority of North Carolinians, and Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Cheri Beasley seems to have taken notice.
Twice in the first week of September, Beasley’s campaign has distanced themselves from Biden and Harris when asked about opportunities to campaign with the leaders of her party.
On Sept. 1, when Harris visited Durham, WRAL reporter Bryan Anderson asked Beasley’s campaign if they were planning to attend any events with the vice president. The campaign told Anderson that “While the vice president is in North Carolina for an official White House visit, Cheri is focused on her campaign to give North Carolinians a Senator in Washington who will work for them.”
North Carolina Tribune reporter Colin Campbell joined many other political observers in shock that Beasley’s campaign didn’t at least create a scheduling conflict to explain being absent during the visit of such an important member of her party.
Only six days later, Bloomberg reporter Christian Hall reported that Beasley again sidestepped calls to campaign with Biden or Harris, saying, “I’m not aware of what their schedules are.” Hall said Beasley “wouldn’t commit” to campaigning with the president or vice president.
In the most recent favorability rating poll of North Carolinians, done by High Point University in late August, Biden was seen favorably by 35% and unfavorably by 56%. Harris was slightly better at 37% favorable and 52% unfavorable. This made them the two least popular political figures on the questionnaire among North Carolinians. Former President Donald Trump was a close third, viewed unfavorably by 51%.
Beasley has 31% favorable and 28% unfavorable, but another 40% were unsure about or unfamiliar with her. Her campaign may be hoping to convince many of those who have not yet made up their mind about her to give her a chance even if they are not fond of Biden or Harris.
Taylor Mazock, the North Carolina press secretary for the Republican National Committee, blasted Beasley in a press release, saying Beasley’s campaign could just Google if they really wanted to find the public schedules of Biden and Harris and that “Cheri Beasley is lying to North Carolina voters and making excuses for the Biden-Harris agenda she supports.”