Ted
Budd

Who they are, where they came from

Ted Budd is a Republican businessman and politician serving as the junior United States Senator for North Carolina since January 3, 2023. Before his Senate service, he represented North Carolina's 13th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2017 to 2023. His legislative record in the Senate spans financial technology, workforce development, law enforcement, public health preparedness, and international religious freedom. He has sponsored bills addressing cryptocurrency regulation, including measures to establish tax treatment for small digital currency transactions (S.4171) and to counter the use of financial technology in illicit activity (S.2609). On workforce policy, he has sponsored legislation to modernize federal workforce development programs (S.3825) and to expand employer-directed skills training (S.3846). He sponsored the PELL Act of 2025 (S.1683), which relates to Pell Grant policy, and the Families Care Act (S.1132) addressing family caregiving. His public safety record includes sponsorship of the POLICE Act of 2025 (S.212). He has also sponsored legislation on public health preparedness in the context of artificial intelligence (S.501), on disaster assistance equity (S.352), and on protections for lands near military installations through the Incentivizing Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration Sales Act (S.439). He introduced the Combatting the Persecution of Religious Groups in China Act (S.3056), addressing treatment of religious minorities in China. He also sponsored the Working Dog Commemorative Coin Act (S.711).

What they’ve done lately

Where the campaign funds come from

Budd's 2026 cycle receipts of $1.1M came primarily from individuals (66.0%), with itemized contributions making up 62.2% of individual giving. Top PAC contributors include Ted Budd Majority Committee 2028, Budd NC Victory Fund 2028, and NCTA - The Internet & Television Association Political Action Committee, along with corporate PACs from GlaxoSmithKline, Eli Lilly, and Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings. Top employer concentrations include Corvid Technologies, Inmar Intelligence, and Golub Capital. Outside spending in the cycle totaled $21.0M supporting Budd (top spenders Americans for Prosperity Action at $9.3M, Club for Growth Action at $6.9M, and Opportunity Matters Fund at $1.5M) and $17.1M opposing him (top spenders SMP at $11.0M, Women Vote! at $3.1M, and Carolina Senate Fund at $1.2M), separate from contributions to his own campaign.