Ted Budd
Official portrait, 2023
United States Senator
from North Carolina
Assumed office
January 3, 2023
Serving with Thom Tillis
Preceded byRichard Burr
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from North Carolina's 13th district
In office
January 3, 2017 – January 3, 2023
Preceded byGeorge Holding
Succeeded byWiley Nickel
Personal details
Born
Theodore Paul Budd

(1971-10-21) October 21, 1971
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
Amy Kate Adams
​
(m. 1994)​
Children3
EducationAppalachian State University (BS)
Dallas Theological Seminary (ThM)
Wake Forest University (MBA)
WebsiteSenate website

Theodore Paul Budd (born October 21, 1971) is an American businessman and politician serving as the junior United States senator for North Carolina since 2023. A member of the Republican Party, he was the U.S. representative for North Carolina's 13th congressional district from 2017 to 2023.

Budd was the Republican nominee in the 2022 United States Senate election in North Carolina to replace retiring Republican senator Richard Burr. He defeated the Democratic nominee, Cheri Beasley, and subsequently took office on January 3, 2023.

Early life and career

Budd was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in 1971.[1] When he was young, his family moved to a 300-acre (120 ha) farm on the Yadkin River in Davie County, outside Advance, where they raise cattle and chickens.[2][3][4][5][6] His father owned a facility-services company.[4]

Budd attended Summit School, a private school in Winston-Salem, before attending Davie County High School, graduating in 1990.[7][8] He then went to Appalachian State University, where received a Bachelor of Science in business administration in 1994.[9][3] Budd later received a master of theology from the Dallas Theological Seminary in 1998 and a master of business administration from the Wake Forest University School of Business in 2007.[3][4][10]

Budd owns a gun store in Rural Hall, North Carolina.[3][4] The father of home-schooled children, he also served as a board member for North Carolinians for Home Education.[11]

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

2016

Following court-mandated redistricting, the old 13th district essentially merged with the 2nd district. A new 13th district was created, stretching from the northern suburbs of Charlotte to Greensboro. The old 13th district's incumbent, Republican George Holding, opted to run in the 2nd district. Budd ran as one of 17 candidates in the ensuing Republican primary for the 13th district in the 2016 elections.[12] His home had previously been in the 5th district but had been drawn into the 13th district.

With the help of the Club for Growth, which spent over $285,000 on his campaign,[5] Budd won the primary with 20% of the vote.[13][14] He defeated Bruce Davis, a former Guilford County commissioner, in the general election with 56.1% of the vote.[15][16] He was sworn into office on January 3, 2017.[17]

2018

Budd during the 115th Congress

Budd was reelected in 2018, winning 51.5% to Kathy Manning's 45.8%.[18] Manning was elected to represent the neighboring 6th district in 2020.[19]

2020

In 2020, Budd was reelected with 68.2% of the vote defeating Democrat Scott Huffman, who won 31.8% of the vote.[20]

House tenure

Budd voted for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 and numerous Defense Authorization Spending Bills during the Trump administration. He also voted for the United States-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement, which he said would open up more markets for North Carolina agricultural products. He opposed the American Rescue Plan Act, the Build Back Better Act, and the Infrastructure, Investment, and Jobs Act under President Biden.[21]

In late February 2021, Budd and a dozen other Republican House members skipped votes and enlisted others to vote in their place, citing the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. He and the other members were actually attending the Conservative Political Action Conference, which was held at the same time as their slated absences.[22] In response, the Campaign for Accountability, an ethics watchdog group, filed a complaint with the House Committee on Ethics and requested an investigation into Budd and the other lawmakers.[23]

Budd was a member of the Freedom Caucus.[24]

Committee assignments

Caucus memberships

U.S. Senate

Final results by county
2022 North Carolina Senate election results by county:
  Ted Budd
  •   70–80%
  •   60–70%
  •   50–60%
  •   40–50%
  •   80–90%
  •   60–70%
  •   50–60%

Elections

2022

On April 23, 2021, Budd went to Mar-a-Lago to discuss his prospective U.S. Senate candidacy with former U.S. President Donald Trump.[28] On April 28, 2021, Budd announced his candidacy for the Class 3 Senate seat held by the retiring Richard Burr.[29] At the Republican state convention in Greenville on June 5, Budd received the endorsements of Donald Trump and Trump's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, who had declined to run for the seat.[30][31] Former North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory said he would remain in the race despite Trump's endorsement. A third declared candidate, U.S. Representative Mark Walker, said he too would stay in the race, maintaining that he had won a straw poll of those attending the convention.[32][33][34][35]

Budd won the Republican primary on May 17, 2022, with 58% of the vote, to McCrory's 25% and Walker's 9%.[36] In the general election, Budd defeated Democratic nominee Cheri Beasley, the former chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. Budd received 50.5% of the vote to Beasley's 47.3%—a margin of 3.2%.[37]

Senate tenure

At the convening of the 118th Congress on January 3, 2023, Budd was sworn in as North Carolina's junior U.S. Senator.[38] He was one of five new Republican senators to take office that day.[39]

In March 2023, Budd introduced the Seeing Objects at Altitude Regularly Act (SOAR), co-sponsored by Senator Mark Kelly, legislation that would require the Federal Aviation Administration to issue regulations within two years mandating equipping high-altitude balloons operating at 10,000 feet above sea level or higher with tracking systems to transmit location, altitude, and identity.[40] The idea for the bill came after a Chinese-operated balloon crossed over the U.S. the previous month.[41]

Committee assignments

Caucuses

Political positions

Abortion

After Senator Lindsey Graham introduced legislation that would ban abortion nationwide after 15 weeks of pregnancy,[42] Budd co-sponsored a House version of the bill with over 80 Republicans.[43]

Affordable Care Act

Budd opposes the Affordable Care Act and voted to repeal it in 2017.[44]

2020 presidential election

In December 2020, Budd was one of 126 Republican members of the House of Representatives to sign an amicus brief in support of Texas v. Pennsylvania, a lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton at the United States Supreme Court.[45][46] It contested the results of the 2020 presidential election, in four states, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, where Joe Biden defeated[47] incumbent Donald Trump. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case on the basis that Texas lacked standing under Article III of the Constitution to challenge the results of an election held by other states.[48][49][50]

On January 6, 2021, Budd was one of 147 Republican lawmakers who objected to the certification of electoral votes from the 2020 presidential election after a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol, forcing an emergency recess of Congress.[51] Budd contended that officials in Pennsylvania had acted "illegally" and "violated" both the United States Constitution and that of their own state.[28] He said, "I cannot consent to accepting Pennsylvania's electoral votes."[28]

Voting rights and election integrity

Budd opposes the For the People Act, a Democratic bill intended to expand voting rights. Budd said that the bill undermines election integrity by expanding "no excuse" absentee voting and weakening voter ID requirements. He said that the bill would allow minors to vote. PolitiFact ruled this claim false, as the bill would only allow those under 18 to register to vote. Amendments to the bill that would lower the voting age to 16 failed in both 2019 and 2021.[52]

Foreign policy

In 2020, Budd voted against the National Defense Authorization Act of 2021, which would prevent the president from withdrawing soldiers from Afghanistan without congressional approval.[53]

In 2021, Budd was one of 14 Republican representatives to vote against a measure condemning the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état.[54]

Antitrust bill

In 2022, Budd was one of 39 Republicans to vote for the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act of 2021, an antitrust package that would crack down on corporations for anti-competitive behavior.[55][56]

Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023

Budd was among the 31 Senate Republicans who voted against final passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023.[57]

Personal life

Budd met his wife, Amy Kate Adams, on a mission to the Soviet Union in 1991.[4] They married in 1994 and have three children.[58] The Budds live in Davie County on the farm where Budd was raised.[4] They home-school their children and Budd serves as an assistant scoutmaster in his son's Boy Scout troop.[59]

References

  1. ↑ "Guide to the New Congress" (PDF). Roll Call. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 24, 2018. Retrieved January 3, 2017.
  2. ↑ Richard, Laura E. (July 23, 1987). "Family Moves From City To Rural Davie". Davie County Enterprise Record. p. 6.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Budd may have had 'rookie' advantage". Davie County Enterprise Record. June 30, 2016. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "How a gun store owner with no political experience won the nation's most crowded primary". Charlotte Observer. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
  5. 1 2 Record, Taft Wireback Greensboro News & (May 19, 2016). "Political neophyte draws big-dollar support in District 13 House race". Winston-Salem Journal. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Ted Budd a likeable guy". Davie County Enterprise Record. July 7, 2016. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
  7. ↑ Budd, Ted (July 29, 2021). "In Honor of DuWayne Amen" (PDF). Congressional Record - Extension of Remarks. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  8. ↑ "Davie High School - Class of 1990". Davie County Enterprise Record. June 7, 1990. p. 2C.
  9. ↑ "Area Students Earn College And University Degrees". Davie County Enterprise Record. June 2, 1994. p. C1.
  10. ↑ "Rep. Ted Budd - R North Carolina, 13th, In Office - Biography | LegiStorm". www.legistorm.com. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Meet Ted". Ted Budd. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  12. ↑ "Seventeen Republicans Walk into a Primary..." Roll Call. May 23, 2016. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
  13. ↑ "13th District: Ted Budd wins his first run for office". Charlotte Observer. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
  14. ↑ Gowing, Dale; Mastandrea, Nina (June 7, 2016). "Ted Budd wins big in 13th". Mooresville Tribune. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
  15. ↑ "Davis: Experience a must for U.S. House seat". News & Record. September 30, 2016. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
  16. ↑ Rickard, Tim (November 8, 2016). "Political newcomer Ted Budd wins redrawn U.S. House 13th District". News & Record. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
  17. ↑ Douglas, William (January 3, 2017). "New House Rep. Ted Budd of NC sworn into office; now he'll bunk there". The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  18. ↑ "North Carolina Election Results 2018: Live Midterm Map by County & Analysis". www.politico.com. November 7, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  19. ↑ "North Carolina Election Results: Sixth Congressional District". The New York Times. November 3, 2020. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  20. ↑ "North Carolina Election Results: 13th Congressional District". The New York Times. November 3, 2020. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  21. ↑ "The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  22. ↑ Bash, Dana; Raju, Manu; Diaz, Daniella; Fox, Lauren; Warren, Michael (February 26, 2021). "More than a dozen Republicans tell House they can't attend votes due to 'public health emergency.' They're slated to be at CPAC". CNN. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  23. ↑ Grayer, Annie; Diaz, Daniella (March 10, 2021). "First on CNN: Watchdog group requests investigation into 13 GOP lawmakers for misusing proxy voting". CNN. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  24. ↑ Dexheimer, Elizabeth (July 5, 2017). "Taking Wall Street's Side, Young Congressman Infuriates Allies". Bloomberg. Retrieved February 7, 2018. Budd affiliated himself with the Freedom Caucus
  25. 1 2 "Committees and Caucuses | U.S. Congressman Ted Budd". budd.house.gov. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  26. ↑ Dexheimer, Elizabeth (July 5, 2017). "Taking Wall Street's Side, Young Congressman Infuriates Allies". Bloomberg. Retrieved December 6, 2017. Budd affiliated himself with the Freedom Caucus
  27. ↑ "Membership". Republican Study Committee. December 6, 2017. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  28. 1 2 3 Trump's pick in a key Senate race touts his agriculture ties. He doesn't mention his role in bankruptcy that cost farmers millions, Washington Post, Michael Kranish, August 30, 2021. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  29. ↑ "Ted Budd launches Senate bid in North Carolina". Politico. April 28, 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  30. ↑ Murphy, Brian (June 5, 2021). "Trump endorses Ted Budd in North Carolina's Senate race as Lara Trump declines to run". The News News&Observer.
  31. ↑ Trump’s pick in a key Senate race touts his agriculture ties. He doesn’t mention his role in a bankruptcy that cost farmers millions, Washington Post, Michael Kranish, August 31, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  32. ↑ Trump endorses North Carolina’s Rep. Ted Budd for Senate after Lara Trump declines to run, Washington Post, Josh Dawsey, June 6, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  33. ↑ Republican leaders say they want to focus on the future, but Trump is far from done with the past, Washington Post, Josh Dawsey and Julie Watson, June 6, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  34. ↑ "Club for Growth targets Idaho Rep. Simpson for defeat in 2014". Idaho Statesman. February 27, 2013. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  35. ↑ Wing, Nick (February 27, 2013). "Club For Growth Launches New Effort To Recruit GOP Primary Challengers Against Republicans". Huffington Post. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  36. ↑ "North Carolina Primary Results". CNN. May 17, 2022. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
  37. ↑ "Why AP called North Carolina Senate race for Ted Budd". Associated Press. November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  38. ↑ "NC's Sen. Ted Budd sworn into office, as House members wait to elect new speaker". MSN. January 3, 2023. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  39. ↑ "Meet the freshman class: Congress' new members include 13 women of color, the 1st Gen Z lawmaker, and some familiar faces". Business Insider. January 2, 2023. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  40. ↑ Shepardson, David (March 15, 2023). "U.S. senators to propose legislation to mandate balloon tracking". Reuters. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  41. ↑ Ablon, Matthew (March 15, 2023). "Sen. Budd introduces bipartisan bill to improve tracking of high-altitude balloons". WCNC-TV. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  42. ↑ Karni, Annie (September 13, 2022). "Graham Proposes 15-Week Abortion Ban, Seeking to Unite Republicans". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  43. ↑ Tasolides, Justin; Landis, Austin (September 14, 2022). "White House calls Graham bill 'blatantly hypocritical' as GOP split on 15-week ban". Spectrum News. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  44. ↑ "Republican 'voted to gut protections for pre-existing conditions?' There's more to it". News & Observer. 2018.
  45. ↑ Platoff, Emma (October 6, 2020). "As Ken Paxton faces criminal allegations, an agency at war with itself must carry on the state's business". The Texas Tribune. Archived from the original on October 7, 2020. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  46. ↑ AP Sources: FBI is investigating Texas attorney general, Associated Press, Ken Bleiberg, November 17, 2020. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  47. ↑ Blood, Michael R.; Riccardi, Nicholas (December 5, 2020). "Biden officially secures enough electors to become president". AP News. Archived from the original on December 8, 2020. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  48. ↑ Liptak, Adam (December 11, 2020). "Supreme Court Rejects Texas Suit Seeking to Subvert Election". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  49. ↑ "Order in Pending Case" (PDF). Supreme Court of the United States. December 11, 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  50. ↑ Diaz, Daniella. "Brief from 126 Republicans supporting Texas lawsuit in Supreme Court". CNN. Archived from the original on December 12, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  51. ↑ Yourish, Karen; Buchanan, Larry; Lu, Denise (January 7, 2021). "The 147 Republicans Who Voted to Overturn Election Results". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  52. ↑ "PolitiFact - No, HR 1 doesn't 'allow minors to vote'". PolitiFact. March 10, 2021. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  53. ↑ "H.R. 6395: William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act ... -- House Vote #152 -- Jul 21, 2020".
  54. ↑ Diaz, Daniella; Wilson, Kristin (March 19, 2021). "14 House Republicans vote against a measure condemning military coup in Myanmar". CNN. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  55. ↑ "House passes antitrust bill that hikes M&A fees as larger efforts targeting tech have stalled". CNBC. September 29, 2022.
  56. ↑ "H.R. 3843: Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act of 2022 -- House Vote #460 -- Sep 29, 2022".
  57. ↑ Folley, Aris (June 1, 2023). "Here are the senators who voted against the bill to raise the debt ceiling". The Hill. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
  58. ↑ "Rep. Ted Budd - R North Carolina, 13th, In Office - Biography | LegiStorm". www.legistorm.com. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  59. ↑ "Meet Ted". Ted Budd. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
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