Biography
Theodore Paul Budd was born on October 21, 1971, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He grew up in the Piedmont region of the state and attended Davie County High School before earning a business degree from Appalachian State University. He later received an MBA from Wake Forest University and a Master of Divinity from Dallas Theological Seminary — a background that speaks to both his business orientation and the strong evangelical Christian faith that shapes his political identity. He returned to North Carolina to operate ProShots, his family's gun shop and firearms training facility in Rural Hall, which he has run for decades and which became the central biographical touchstone of his political career.
Budd won election to the US House in 2016, representing North Carolina's 13th congressional district, and served three terms before his Senate run. In the House he was a consistent conservative vote but a relatively low-profile member, serving on the Financial Services Committee and building a record of opposition to major Democratic legislation. The defining moment of his political career was Donald Trump's endorsement in his 2022 Senate primary, announced at a rally in Selma, North Carolina, in April 2021. Trump's backing transformed him from a credible but not dominant primary candidate into the immediate frontrunner, and he won the primary decisively over former Governor Pat McCrory.
In the 2022 general election, Budd faced Democrat Cheri Beasley, the former Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court — a formidable candidate with statewide name recognition, a compelling biography, and strong fundraising. North Carolina was considered a genuine battleground, but Budd won by approximately 3 points as Republican candidates outperformed expectations in many competitive states. He was sworn into the Senate in January 2023, succeeding retiring Republican Senator Richard Burr.
Key Policy Positions
Second Amendment
Budd's most distinctive personal credential is his ownership of a gun shop and shooting range. His Second Amendment advocacy is not merely ideological but biographical: he employs people in the firearms industry and has lived the regulatory environment that he argues burdens law-abiding gun owners and businesses. He has opposed all major gun control legislation, voted against the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act in 2022 (which passed with some Republican support after the Uvalde massacre), and has been a consistent advocate for concealed carry reciprocity and suppressor deregulation. His NRA rating is among the highest in the Senate.
Fiscal Conservatism
Budd is a consistent fiscal conservative who has opposed major spending bills throughout his congressional career. He voted against the American Rescue Plan, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the Inflation Reduction Act, citing concerns about federal debt, inflation, and government overreach. He supports extending the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and has been a voice for reducing discretionary spending. His Financial Services Committee background gives him particular interest in deregulatory financial policy, cryptocurrency regulation (he has been relatively friendly toward digital assets), and reducing the regulatory burden on small businesses.
Social Conservatism
Budd's theological education and evangelical faith inform his consistent positions on social issues. He is anti-abortion, has supported restrictions on abortion access since the Dobbs decision, and opposes federal legislation to codify abortion rights. He has opposed same-sex marriage legislation, voting against the Respect for Marriage Act in 2022 in a vote that most Republicans also opposed. He has been a vocal opponent of what he characterizes as gender ideology in schools and has supported parental rights legislation. His social conservatism is consistent with the mainstream of North Carolina Republican politics and the evangelical Christian community that forms a significant part of his political base.
North Carolina Senate Election 2022
| Candidate | Party | Vote % | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ted Budd | Republican | 50.5% | +3.2 |
| Cheri Beasley | Democrat | 47.3% | — |
The race was considered one of the most competitive Senate contests of 2022. Beasley, as former Chief Justice of the NC Supreme Court, was a stronger-than-average Democratic candidate. Budd's 3-point margin was wider than most final polls suggested and reflected a broader Republican overperformance in competitive Senate races in 2022.
2028 Re-election Outlook
North Carolina is a genuinely competitive state that has grown more Republican at the federal level in the Trump era, with Trump winning it in 2020 and 2024. Budd's incumbency advantage, combined with the state's Republican lean in federal races, makes him a favored but not certain re-election candidate in 2028. The state's rapidly changing demographics — driven by migration to the Research Triangle and Charlotte metro areas — continue to create long-term Democratic organizing opportunities, and a strong Democratic candidate in a favorable national environment could make the race competitive.
