On Tuesday, former president and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump announced his endorsement of NC House Speaker Tim Moore to represent North Carolina’s 14th Congressional District on Capitol Hill.
Moore faces Republican opponents in Lillian Joseph and Jeff Gregory in the March 5 Super Tuesday primary election. Republican Pat Harrigan dropped out of the CD14 primary race to run in the 10th Congressional District primary. Pamela Genant and Brendan K. Maginnis are running in the Democratic primary for CD14.
“I can’t wait to get to Congress and work with President Trump to Make America GREAT Again! Thank you President Trump for your endorsement,” Moore posted on social media Thursday.
Currently represented by Democrat Jeff Jackson, who is running in North Carolina’s Attorney General race against Republican Congressman Dan Bishop, CD14 includes the area south and west of Charlotte, along the border with South Carolina.
The 2024 races are likely to test the impact of a Trump endorsement down ballot as he emerges as the frontrunner for the top of the Republican ticket. In 2023, Trump endorsed Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson for North Carolina governor. Robinson and Trump are leading by wide margins among North Carolina Republicans in February polling.
Trump has also endorsed Republican former lobbyist Addison McDowell for the state’s 6th Congressional District primary race. Also in that primary is former 2022 Trump-endorsee Bo Hines, who came up short in the 2022 CD13 general election against Democrat Wiley Nickel. Rep. Mark Walker is running for the CD06 Republican nomination after representing the area from 2014 to 2020. In 2022, he lost the US Senate primary to Ted Budd, another Trump-endorsed candidate.
Trump’s influence also extends to the mechanics of the party itself after recently endorsing NCGOP Chairman Michael Whatley to replace Ronna McDaniel as head of the Republican National Committee. McDaniel said she plans to step down following the South Carolina primary on February 26.
Early voting for North Carolina’s primary started on Thursday and saw increased turnout over the weekend when compared to 2020 early voting. Early voting continues through March 2, ahead of North Carolina’s March 5 Super Tuesday Primary Election Day.