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Former President Barack Obama is putting his support behind North Carolina senate candidate Cheri Beasley as Democrats focus their efforts on flipping swing states in their favor to gain control of the evenly-split chamber, per the Associated Press.
On Tuesday (October 25), Obama endorsed Beasley, a former chief justice of the state Supreme Court running against Republican U.S. Rep. Ted Budd, in a new campaign ad.
Obama's support comes weeks before Election Day and with in-person early voting already underway in North Carolina, which has one of the nation's most competitive Senate races in the midterm elections.
As Budd leans into his endorsement from former President Donald Trump, Beasley's campaign said it plans to spend six figures broadcasting the campaign ad featuring Obama's backing. The ad, which began airing on Tuesday, is voiced by the former president and runs for 60 seconds on social media and a 30-second cut will be broadcasted on digital platforms and radio.
“Cheri works hard, she's honest and, most importantly, she always puts people first,” Obama says in the 60-second ad. “In the Senate, Cheri will fight to make health care and prescription drugs more affordable and protect our fundamental rights, from the right to vote to a woman's right to control her own body. This is going to be a close race, and we can't afford to get it wrong.”
With Republicans poised to gain seats in the House, Beasley's race is a crucial pickup for Senate Democrats who are looking to hold a majority in at least one chamber.
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