Former President Barack Obama endorsed North Carolina U.S. Senate candidate Cheri Beasley on Tuesday in a new campaign ad as Democrats target the Southern swing state as one of the few where they have a strong shot at flipping a seat in the evenly split chamber.
North Carolina, which Obama narrowly won in 2008, has one of the nation's most competitive Senate contests in the midterm elections. Beasley, the former chief justice of the state Supreme Court, is running against Republican U.S. Rep. Ted Budd, who has former President Donald Trump's endorsement. With Republicans projected to make gains in the House in November, Beasley’s race is an essential pickup for Senate Democrats who hope to retain control of at least one chamber.
