Today, former congressman Mark Walker announced that he is ending his bid to represent North Carolina’s 6th congressional district, making Addison McDowell the official Republican nominee.
Walker is withdrawing to accept an offer from former President Donald Trump. Walker is joining Trump’s re-election campaign as director of outreach for faith and minority communities. The announcement comes the morning after Trump officially secured the number of delegates needed to be Republican nomination for the 2024 race for the White House.
McDowell, now the nominee, has been endorsed by both Donald Trump and Bo Hines, former candidate in the 6th District, and now Walker has also thrown his support behind McDowell.
“I would like to commend Mark Walker for his passion for public service,” said McDowell in a press release. “I might be the younger of the two of us, but Mark Walker is the higher energy candidate. I’ve no doubt what feeds that energy is his passion for service. He ran a tough race and made me have to be a better candidate to win this thing. I don’t know what his future holds, but I have faith God has a great plan for Mark.”
“Of course, thank you to President Donald J. Trump for believing in me!” McDowell continued. “I can’t wait to work in Congress to help him secure our Southern border and fight for the America First Agenda that protects and promotes American jobs as the top priority. Thank you also to Ted and Amy Kate Budd. Ted is the one who introduced me to President Trump in 2016. But more importantly, Ted Budd is the man who helped mentor me and let me see first-hand how a congressman works to put his constituents as the top priority.”
North Carolina’s Congressional District 6 is currently represented by Democrat Congresswoman Kathy Manning who announced last year that she would not run again. No Democrat is running in November’s general election, so the results of this GOP primary essentially give McDowell the seat in Congress.
“Congratulations to Addison McDowell on his primary victory,” Delanie Bomar, NRCC spokeswoman said in a press release. “Addison has been fighting for North Carolina families for years as a member of Congressman Richard Hudson and then-Congressman Ted Budd’s staff. North Carolinians want nothing to do with extreme Democrats’ dangerous agenda causing historic inflation and a violent crime wave. North Carolina voters will overwhelmingly send Addison to Congress in November.”