NC's messiest congressional race continues: McDowell, Walker advance to runoff

In North Carolina's 6th Congressional District, lobbyist Addison McDowell and former U.S. Rep. Mark Walker failed to get the 30% needed to win the nomination outright.

Former U.S. Rep. Mark Walker and lobbyist Addison McDowell (left to right) have advanced to a runoff scheduled for May 14.

North Carolina’s messiest congressional race will last another 10 weeks.

Lobbyist Addison McDowell greatly benefitted from a late surge fueled by former President Donald Trump’s visit to Greensboro on Saturday, but failed to attract the necessary support to claim his party’s nomination outright.

“All the so-called experts said I had no shot, but I had faith in the voters and it looks like they thought differently than the experts,” McDowell said in a statement. “I owe a big thank you to President Donald J. Trump. President Trump endorsed me because he knows securing our southern border is very important to me.”

McDowell will face off against the second-highest primary vote-getter, former U.S. Rep. Mark Walker.

Walker vowed to request a runoff, as is required of the second-place finisher under North Carolina law. Walker also pushed for McDowell to debate him.

“Looking forward to our runoff on May 14 and hopefully, the young lobbyist from Raleigh will debate,” Walker wrote on Twitter. “The people deserve it.”