WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: NC Democrats “Coalescing” Around Cheri Beasley In Senate Race While Republicans “Beat Each Other Up” In “Nasty Primary Fight”

A wave of news coverage is highlighting how North Carolina Democrats are “coalescing around Beasley” while Republicans remain locked in an “expensive,” “brutal,” ”divisive,” and “increasingly rough” Senate primary.

See for yourself:

• Axios Charlotte:“Republican counterparts are engaged in a brutal primary… The Democratic primary had little such contentiousness, and now it will have even less.”

• News & Observer: “It also allows the Democrats to leave infighting to the Republicans.”

• Carolina Journal: “The Jackson decision is welcome news for Democrats who already appeared to be coalescing around Beasley. She now can focus on fundraising for the general election, while Republicans contend with a contested and likely expensive primary.”

• PoliticsNC: “By bowing out now, Jackson allows her to begin building for the general election while Republicans beat each other up during a nasty primary fight.”

• WGHP: “Senator Jeff Jackson suspends US Senate campaign, endorses Beasley; ‘won’t be participating in costly, divisive primary’.”

• Associated Press: “The Republican primary for Burr’s seat has intensified in recent weeks, as former North Carolina Republican Gov. Pat McCrory and ex-Rep. Mark Walker have pushed for U.S. Rep. Ted Budd to agree to a debate schedule.”

• NBC News: “While Democrats have consolidated around Beasley, Republicans have to contend with a competitive primary for the GOP nomination… the dynamic between both McCrory and Budd has been tense.”

• Washington Post: “Jackson… said in a video Thursday that the leading Republican candidates in the primary, former governor Pat McCrory and Trump-backed Rep. Ted Budd, are preparing to spend millions to attack each other to secure the nomination, and Democrats can’t do that.”

• The Hill: “The GOP is in the midst of a divisive primary fight.”

• CNN: “The move is a boon for Democrats.”

• Politico’s Burgess Everett: “Dems “clear field… while GOP fights it out in increasingly rough fashion.”

• Inside Election’s Jacob Rubashkin: “Wow, this would be big for Democrats in North Carolina — they’d avoid a costly and divisive primary in a marquee battleground while the GOP contest only gets nastier between Budd and McCrory.”

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