Republican candidate for a North Carolina congressional seat, Kelly Daughtry, ended her campaign on May 2 after it emerged former president Donald Trump had endorsed her rival, Brad Knott.
Ms. Daughtry, a Johnston County attorney, finished first among 14 candidates in the March 5 Republican primary for the central North Carolina 13th Congressional District, however, fell short of reaching the 30 percent vote required to avoid a runoff.
“In light of President Trump’s endorsement of Brad Knott for the Congressional seat in District 13, it has become clear that a pathway to victory is no longer feasible,” Ms. Daughtry said in a social media post.
In a post on Truth Social on April 6, the former president declared his ironclad support for Mr. Knott, saying that “he will never let you down.” In the same post, Mr. Trump criticized Ms. Daughtry, saying she “has given money to Far Left Democrats, pledged to vote for Obama, and is no friend to MAGA.”
Mr. Knott, a former federal prosecutor who placed second in the race, also picked up the endorsement of third-place primary finisher Fred Von Canon.
“I believe in the democratic process and respect the endorsement of our President,” Ms. Daughtry added. “The time has now come to suspend my campaign.”
Ms. Daughtry also expressed her strong support for unity and support within the Republican party.
“Brad has my full endorsement, and I want him to know that I am here to support him, not to oppose him,” she said.
Ms. Daughtry said that despite ending her candidacy, she will continue to focus on things she believes in, including conservative voter registration operations and supporting the nominated conservative judicial candidates running in November.
While ending a campaign less than two weeks before any election is unusual, it is an indication of President Trump’s influence in the state, which he won in both the 2016 and 2020 elections.
However, Ms. Daughtry remains an official candidate, according to the State Board of Elections, with her name remaining on the ballot, as it is too far into the primaries for it to be removed.
Early in-person voting for the runoff continues through May 11, and traditional absentee balloting has been going on for weeks.
While Mr. Knott accepted Ms. Daughtry’s endorsement in his own statement, he cautioned supporters who believed he was now the primary winner.
“While Kelly has ended her campaign, this election is not over,” Mr. Knott said. “I strongly encourage my supporters to get out and vote on May 14,” he said.
Ms. Daughtry is the daughter of former state legislative leader and gubernatorial candidate Leo Daughtry. She previously ran for a congressional seat in 2022. However, she lost to fellow GOP member Bo Hines.
State elections board spokesperson Pat Gannon said in an email that the Republicans’ 13th District executive committee would appoint a candidate to appear on the November ballot if Ms. Daughtry won the second primary without accepting the nomination.
The seat for the reconfigured 13th District covers the majority of eight counties, ranging from around most of the state capital, Raleigh, along Lee County towards the Virginia border.
The current 13th District is represented by first-term Democratic Congressman Wiley Nickel.
Mr. Nickel, along with two other Democratic incumbents, Reps. Jeff Jackson and Kathy Manning will not be seeking reelection due to the district’s heavy shift towards Republican governance, although the GOP runoff winner in the district will still have to face Democratic rival Frank Pierce in the fall.
Election data shows that GOP candidates are likely to secure the majority of seats in the state, currently holding seven out of 14 seats.
The May 14 runoff also includes two statewide races—for the GOP primary nominations for lieutenant governor and state auditor.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
