Democrat Jeff Jackson set to exit North Carolina Senate race: report

North Carolina state Sen. Jeff Jackson (D) is reportedly set to exit the race for U.S. Senate.

Politico reported late Wednesday that Jackson made phone calls to donors informing them of his plans to drop out of the Senate race. The news outlet cited three unidentified people familiar with the calls.

Jackson is planning to publicly announce his decision to withdraw from the race as soon as Tuesday, a fourth person told Politico.

Jackson, a captain in the Army National Guard who has served in the state Senate since 2014, announced in January that he was running to represent North Carolina in the U.S. Senate.

Several other Democrats are vying for the party’s nomination with hopes of filling Sen. Richard Burr’s (R-N.C.) seat next year. The North Carolina Republican announced in 2016 that he would not run for a fourth term in 2022.

Jackson and former state Supreme Court Justice Cheri Beasley have risen to the top of the crowded Democratic field.

North Carolina Reps. G.K. Butterfield (D) and David Price (D) threw their support behind Beasley last week, giving her the backing of two of the Tar Heel State’s five Democratic members of Congress.

Former Beufort Mayor Rett Newton, Ava Edwards, Tobias LaGrone and Constance Johnson are also running for the Democratic nomination, according to The News & Observer.

As of the beginning of October, Beasley led the field in cash on hand, with $1.67 million. Jackson followed with $1.18 million, according to the Raleigh newspaper.

The Hill reached out to Jackson’s campaign for comment.

The Republican field is shaping up to see a competitive contest as well. Former Rep. Mark Walker, Rep. Ted Budd and former Gov. Pat McCrory are all among the GOP candidates running.

Former President Trump endorsed Budd in June, though he still trails McCrory in a number of polls.

The former president and allies of Budd have tried to encourage Walker to exit the race and instead run for a Greensboro-area House seat, with the guarantee of an endorsement.

Walker told The Associated Press last week that he will remain in the Senate race while considering a potential run for a House seat instead.

The primary in North Carolina was delayed from March until May to allow two gerrymandering lawsuits to continue being litigated.