RALEIGH – Former Gov. Pat McCrory is expected to make an announcement on his radio show on Wednesday that he is running for the U.S. Senate in 2022.
McCrory, who served as the 74th governor of the state from 2013-2017, is said to be ending his show immediately to campaign full-time.
He would become the most prominent Republican to enter the race to replace Sen. Richard Burr, having run for governor three times (2008, 2012, and 2016) and holding higher name ID than former Rep. Mark Walker, who has been officially running since Dec. 2020, and Rep. Ted Budd, who has represented a Congressional District anchored in the Piedmont Triad since 2016.
Both Budd and McCrory’s expected entry in the race likely means that Lara Trump, the daughter-in-law of former President Donald Trump, is not seen as likely to enter the race.
In a Politico report, a poll conducted on behalf of McCrory showed him leading a three-way race over Budd and Walker.
