Ted Budd | |
|---|---|
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina's 13th district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | George Holding |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Theodore Paul Budd October 21, 1971 Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Amy Kate Budd |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Appalachian State University (BS) Dallas Theological Seminary (MA) Wake Forest University (MBA) |
| Website | House website |
Theodore Paul Budd (born October 21, 1971) is an American businessman and politician serving as the U.S. representative for North Carolina's 13th congressional district since 2017. A member of the Republican Party, his district covers the north-central part of the state. On April 28, 2021, Budd announced his candidacy for the 2022 United States Senate election in North Carolina to replace retiring Republican Senator Richard Burr.[1]
Budd was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in 1971.[2] When he was young, his family moved[3] to a 300-acre (120 ha) farm on the Yadkin River in Davie County outside Advance, where they raise cattle and chickens.[4][5][6][7] His father owned a facility-services company.[5]
Budd attended Summit School,[8] a private school in Winston-Salem, before attending Davie County High School, graduating in 1990.[9] He then went to Appalachian State University, where he studied business, graduating in 1994.[10][4] Budd earned his master's degree in business administration from the Wake Forest University School of Business.[4][5] He owns a gun store in Rural Hall, North Carolina.[4][5]
The Budd family loaned $10 million to AgriBioTech, which was repaid with over $25,000 in interest. The company later declared bankruptcy.[11]
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's incumbent, Republican George Holding, opted to run in the 2nd. 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.
With the help of the Club for Growth, which spent over $285,000 on his campaign,[6] Budd won the primary with 20% of the vote.[13][14] He defeated Bruce Davis, a former Guilford County commissioner, in the general election,[15] with 56% of the vote.[16] He was sworn into office on January 3, 2017.[17] Budd is a member of the Freedom Caucus.[18]
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.[19] 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.[20]
Budd opposes the Affordable Care Act and voted to repeal it in 2017.[21]
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 long-indicted Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton at the United States Supreme Court.[22][23] It contested the results of the 2020 presidential election, in four states, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, where Joe Biden defeated[24] 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.[25][26][27]
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.[28] Budd contended that officials in Pennsylvania had acted "illegally" and "violated" both the Constitution of the United States and that of their own state.[29] He said, "I cannot consent to accepting Pennsylvania's electoral votes."[29]
Budd opposes the For the People Act, a bill intended to expand voting rights. Budd asserts that the bill undermines election integrity by expanding "no excuse" absentee voting and weakening voter ID requirements. He falsely stated that the bill would allow minors to vote, when in fact it would only allow those under 18 to register to vote.[30]
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.[31]
In 2021, Budd was one of 14 Republican representatives to vote against a measure condemning the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état.[32]
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Main article: 2022 United States Senate election in North Carolina |
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.[29] On April 28, 2021, Budd announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat to be vacated by the retiring Richard Burr.[36] 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.[37][11] Former North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory said he would remain in the race despite Trump's endorsement. A third declared candidate, Representative Mark Walker, said he too would stay in the race, maintaining that he had won a straw poll of those attending the convention.[38][39][40][41]
Budd met his wife, Amy Kate, on a mission to the Soviet Union in 1991.[5] They have three children. They live on the Davie County farm where Budd was raised.[5]
