North Carolina candidate pauses campaign after Trump’s comments before primary.

Breaking News: Kelly Daughtry, the leading candidate in the Republican primary for a North Carolina congressional seat, has made a surprising announcement. Despite having the most votes in the primary, Daughtry has decided to suspend her campaign. The reason? Her rival, Brad Knott, received the coveted endorsement of former President Donald Trump for the upcoming May 14 runoff election.

Daughtry, a Johnston County attorney, fell short of the 30% threshold needed to secure an outright victory in the primary election, leading to the runoff with Knott. With Trump’s endorsement of Knott, Daughtry acknowledged that her chances of winning have diminished significantly.

In a social media post, Daughtry expressed her belief in the democratic process and stated, “it has become clear that a pathway to victory is no longer feasible.” She also revealed that she fully respects Trump’s endorsement of Knott and has decided to suspend her campaign to throw her support behind him.

Notably, Knott also received the endorsement of Fred Von Canon, the third-place finisher in the primary. Following Daughtry’s announcement, Knott accepted her endorsement but reminded supporters that the election is not yet over. Early in-person voting for the May 14 runoff is ongoing, and absentee balloting has been underway for weeks.

Despite Daughtry’s decision to suspend her campaign and endorse Knott, her name will still appear on the ballot. This development adds an interesting twist to the already competitive runoff race. Knott urged his supporters to remain engaged and emphasized the importance of voting on May 14 to secure victory.

The 13th Congressional District in North Carolina covers a significant area, including parts of eight counties. The district’s boundaries form a horseshoe shape around Raleigh, the state capital, extending from Lee County in the south to the Virginia border in the north.

The current representative for the 13th District, Democrat Wiley Nickel, opted not to seek re-election due to the district’s political shift resulting from last fall’s redistricting. Other Democratic incumbents, Jeff Jackson and Kathy Manning, also chose not to run, citing similar concerns about the district’s political leanings.

With the Democratic departures and the GOP runoff winner facing Democratic challenger Frank Pierce in the general election, the balance of power in the U.S. House of Representatives could be significantly impacted. Republicans are aiming to retain their narrow majority in the upcoming election and Daughtry’s decision to suspend her campaign has added another layer of complexity to an already intriguing race.