A former North Carolina representative who finished second in last week's primary for essentially his old U.S. House seat has announced that he will not request a runoff and will instead join Donald Trump's campaign. Mark Walker, a former U.S. Rep. who served in Congress for six years until 2020, ran for the central North Carolina 6th District seat in this year's primary.
The top vote-getter in the Republican primary, Addison McDowell, who was endorsed by Trump, did not secure the 30% vote margin required to avoid a May 14 runoff. However, Walker has decided not to ask for a runoff, making McDowell the primary winner and the likely next 6th District representative, as there is no Democratic opposition this fall.
The current 6th District representative, Democratic Rep. Kathy Manning, chose not to seek reelection due to redistricting by the GOP-controlled legislature, which shifted the seat significantly to the right. With no other Democratic candidate filing for the seat, McDowell is poised to take over the position.
Trump announced on social media that he had invited Walker, a former Baptist pastor, to join his campaign team to work with faith groups and minority communities, to which Walker agreed. Trump expressed his anticipation of continuing their successful collaboration and building bridges across all communities in the nation.
Walker, known for his efforts to support historically Black colleges and universities during his congressional tenure, confirmed his new role in a news release, stating that he had spoken with Trump and is eager to bring his bridge-building skills to the Trump campaign.
McDowell, a former lobbyist for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, emerged as a first-time candidate in December with Trump's formal endorsement, setting the stage for his political journey in the 6th District.
