Former Gov. Pat McCrory on Wednesday joined the scramble for the U.S. Senate seat that retiring Republican Sen. Richard Burr will leave open next year.
"The U.S. Senate is split right down the middle – 50 Republicans and 50 Democrats – that puts Vice President Kamala Harris in charge, giving the left everything they want to radically change America for generations to come," McCrory said in a brief video announcing his campaign. "Harris and [President Joe] Biden are opening our borders even before they open our schools."
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"I think most of you agree that, right now, Washington has no common sense," he continued. "But changing Washington begins right here in North Carolina, with you and with me."
McCrory hinted two years ago that he was interested in a Senate run when he announced that he wouldn't seek a rematch against Gov. Roy Cooper, to whom he narrowly lost in 2016.
Former Republican Congressman Mark Walker is already in the race, and Republican 13th District Congressman Tedd Budd also is expected to launch a campaign in the coming days. Observers also have said that Lara Trump, a North Carolina native and former President Donald Trump's daughter-in-law, is interested in the Senate seat.
On the Democratic side, former state Sen. Erica Smith has announced, as has state Sen. Jeff Jackson, D-Mecklenburg. Beaufort Mayor Rett Newton announced for the race last week. Former state Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley is expected to get into the race later this month.
Along with his announcement video, McCrory's campaign released polling information showing he has much more statewide name recognition than either Walker or Budd and would easily defeat both in the GOP primary.
Walker threw a pre-emptive jab at McCrory on Monday when word first surfaced about a possible campaign.
“With taking back the Senate majority hinging on our success in North Carolina, why would we gamble on Pat McCrory – a career politician who has lost more statewide races than he’s won?" Walker said in a statement, calling himself North Carolina's "most conservative and pro-Trump" member of Congress.
McCrory has lost two of his three gubernatorial campaigns, winning only in 2012.
But he touted his "Carolina Comeback" during his four years in office, helping balance the state budget after the recession and rebuilding North Carolina's economy.
"I have a conservative track record of standing firm, a record built in North Carolina, not Washington, D.C.," he said in his campaign announcement.
Democrats highlighted instead McCrory's record of signing legislation that restricted transgender access to public bathrooms, blocked local nondiscrimination ordinances, infringed on people's voting rights and cut corporate taxes.
"North Carolinians remember exactly who Pat McCrory is – a failed politician who signed hateful and divisive legislation into law, hurt our national reputation and damaged our state’s economy," North Carolina Democratic Party Chairwoman Bobbie Richardson said in a statement. "From his toxic record blocking Medicaid expansion, signing a monster voter suppression bill and serving his wealthy special interest donors over hard-working North Carolinians, to his multiple statewide losses, it’s clear that Pat McCrory is wrong for our state. North Carolinians voted him out of office in 2016 because of that failed record."