North Carolina Senate hopeful Beasley calls out Democrats, Republicans in new ad

Cheri Beasley, the Democratic Senate nominee in North Carolina, is calling out both parties in a new ad.

“It’s time for something different — for someone who calls it like they see it,” Beasley, a former North Carolina Supreme Court chief justice, says in the 30-second spot. 

“That’s what I did as a judge when I held dangerous offenders accountable. And in the Senate, I’ll hold Washington accountable too, because the special interests have too much power and neither political party is getting it right.”

The ad, which was shared first with The Hill, is set to begin airing statewide on Thursday. It’s the latest instance of a Democratic Senate candidate seeking to draw distance with Washington at a time when the party is facing strong national headwinds. 

Beasley clinched the Democratic Senate nomination in May with little primary opposition. She’s set to face Rep. Ted Budd (R) in the November general election in one of a handful of Senate races that could help determine control of the upper chamber next year.

Flipping the seat currently held by retiring Sen. Richard Burr (R) is likely to be an uphill battle.

President Biden’s approval ratings are deep underwater, and Democrats are facing a largely unfriendly political environment this year given rising inflation and fears of a looming economic recession. 

But Beasley and her allies have sought to overcome those headwinds by casting her as a relative outsider; she’s never served in federal office before, though she still boasts a track record of winning statewide in North Carolina. 

Her latest ad puts her among a growing list of Democratic candidates looking to create distance between the party establishment in Washington. 

Two vulnerable Democratic Senate incumbents, Mark Kelly in Arizona and Maggie Hassan in New Hampshire, have criticized the Biden administration’s plan to end pandemic-related restrictions that allow border authorities to quickly expel migrants, going as far as to introduce a bill earlier this year that would block the White House from doing so.

At the same time, Rep. Tim Ryan, the Democratic Senate nominee in Ohio, was notably absent on Wednesday when Biden made a stop in the Buckeye State. While Ryan’s campaign cited a scheduling conflict, his absence stirred speculation that he was trying to avoid appearing alongside the president.