Former North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory said he tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, a day after his loss in the U.S. Senate Republican primary to Donald Trump-backed Ted Budd.
“Thanks for so many kind notes from friends and supporters since Tuesday,” the former Charlotte mayor said on Twitter just before 1 p.m. Thursday. “Have not been as responsive because I got diagnosed with Covid yesterday. It’s no fun!”
“I love u all,” McCrory added. “Appreciate all your prayers for Ann and me. God bless.”
McCrory held a watch party at Selwyn Avenue Pub in Charlotte’s Myers Park neighborhood on Tuesday night.
The crowd was largely unmasked on the pub patio, drinking at picnic tables. A few dozen people attended, with most of the supporters going inside only to use the restroom. But people pressed together at the bar and received plastic cups from staff — about half of whom remained masked when stepping from behind the bar.
Reporters crowded around McCrory after his concession speech, but the former mayor kept his podium several feet from the crowd.
Budd, a congressman who’s represented the state’s 17th District since 2017, defeated McCrory by more than a 2-1 margin. With all precincts reporting, Budd received 58.6% of the vote to McCrory’s 24.6%, according to unofficial returns.
What the CDC recommends
People should get tested for COVID-19 “at least five days after known or suspected close contact” with someone who’s infected, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends.
Also get tested if you have COVID-19 symptoms; before and after travel; for screening for schools, workplaces and congregate-living settings; and when asked by a healthcare professional or a public health official, according to the CDC.
CNN correspondent Dianne Gallagher, a former Charlotte television reporter, urged anyone who attended McCrory’s party to get tested, although the gathering was mostly outdoors.
“Indoor activity” also took place, so getting tested “is still the smart thing to do,” Gallagher posted on Twitter.
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