State Sen. Jeff Jackson is latest Democrat to signal possible run for U.S. Senate in 2022
North Carolina state Sen. Jeff Jackson of Charlotte signaled Tuesday that he’s considering a run for the U.S. Senate in 2022.
“(T)his would be an opportunity to help our state turn the page and raise our expectations for the type of leadership we deserve in the Senate,” Jackson, a Democrat, said in an email to supporters. “It’s important for the state, and the country. ... So here’s what I’m going to do: Marisa and I will talk about it with our kids over the holiday.”
In an interview, Jackson, 38, said he plans to decide in January.
Jackson would join a short list of Democrats interested in what will be an open seat. Republican Richard Burr has said he doesn’t plan to run for a fourth term.
State Sen. Erica Smith also has announced her intention to run. She lost to Cal Cunningham in this year’s U.S. Senate primary.
Another name also surfaced this week. N.C. Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls said some “grassroots folks wanting to have a strong progressive candidate in North Carolina” have reached out to her about a potential Senate campaign. Someone registered several Senate-themed website addresses with Earls’ name, which Earls said she discovered through Twitter.
Earls, a former Charlotte lawyer, was elected for her eight-year term in 2018 and would have to resign from the court in order to run, according to the N.C. Code of Judicial Conduct.
“I am really honored to have this role on the Supreme Court, and all of my attention in focused on doing the absolute best job in this capacity,” Earls told the Observer last week. “I didn’t register anything and I’m focused on being a good Supreme Court Justice.”
Which Republicans might run?
On the Republican side, outgoing GOP Rep. Mark Walker of Greensboro entered the race this month. Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law and a Wilmington native, reportedly also is considering a run.
Outgoing GOP Rep. George Holding, who didn’t run for re-election after his Raleigh-area district was redrawn, has not ruled out a Senate bid. And asked about the 2022 race, former governor, and Charlotte mayor, Pat McCrory said he’s focused on January’s Senate runoff elections in Georgia.
“There’s plenty of time to talk about 2022,” he said.
White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, who represented far-western North Carolina in Congress, ruled out a 2022 run, but said has has spoken with Lara Trump and several U.S. representatives about potential bids.
“I’ve had a number of people talk about running for that seat,” Meadows said. “To my knowledge, no one’s made a definitive decision on whether to toss their hat in the ring or not. But in terms of my hat, it won’t be in the ring.”
This year’s race, which saw Republican Sen. Thom Tillis defeat Cunningham, was one of the most expensive in American history. Outside groups spent $220 million on the race, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. The candidates raised another $76 million.
Timing of the 2022 Senate election
Jackson, who has three young children, said he would run “a 100-county campaign” and reach out to rural voters, who generally voted Republican this year.
“Any Senate campaign needs to get really serious about outreach,” he said. “You can’t just buy these races. People have to know you.”
He said he won’t wait if he decides to run.
“I have to make a decision soon because if I run, we have to start organizing immediately,” he told the Observer. “What we’re learning is that real organizing takes time. And that’s why I’m putting pressure on myself to make a decision sooner than I otherwise would.”
Voters just reelected Jackson to a fourth term with 55% of the vote in his district, which runs southeast from central Charlotte to the Union County line.
2022 will feature North Carolina’s first open seat since 2004 when Democrat John Edwards ran for president rather than seek re-election to the Senate. Burr won that seat.
This story was originally published December 8, 2020 at 11:06 AM.
