Trump endorses Knott in Triangle-area congressional race

A political newcomer has secured key endorsements in an effort to win the Republican nomination for a Triangle-area congressional seat — including perhaps the most coveted endorsement from within his party.

Former president Donald Trump is endorsing Brad Knott in the state’s 13th Congressional District, which encircles much of the Triangle area. Knott faces Kelly Daughtry in the district’s GOP primary runoff on May 14.

Meanwhile, Americans For Prosperity Action, a Washington-based conservative political group, told WRAL on Monday that it will be endorsing Knott in the race as well.

"Unlike the administration, who stopped using the term Bidenomics, North Carolinians can’t just pretend Bidenomics no longer exists,” said Tyler Voigt, a senior advisor for the group in North Carolina. “They’re still struggling with inflation and high energy prices making everything they do more expensive.”

Trump’s endorsement is particularly critical for Knott, a former federal prosecutor who is locked in a battle over the party’s base in the multimillion-dollar runoff.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Wiley Nickel, who won the district in 2022, isn’t seeking reelection because state lawmakers recently redrew the congressional district in a way that gives Republicans a significant advantage.

Knott lives in Raleigh, outside of the district, and is running for office for the first time. Ads supporting Daughtry have questioned whether Knott is conservative enough and whether he is loyal to Trump.

Knott “will fight hard to support our great law enforcement and military, secure our border, protect our always under siege Second Amendment, and hold Joe Biden and the radical left accountable for their unconstitutional lawfare, corruption, and election interference,” Trump posted on Truth Social Friday.

Trump referred to Knott as a “strong patriot” and cast doubt on Daughtry’s conservative beliefs, pointing out that she has previously donated to Democratic candidates.

In a statement to WRAL, Daughtry’s campaign again questioned Knott’s support for Trump. Her campaign pointed out that Knott didn’t participate in the 2016 or 2020 primary elections, meaning he didn’t support Trump “when he needed it most.”

Daughtry also reaffirmed her commitment to Trump and his priorities.

“In Congress, I'll work with President Trump and to implement the America First agenda because that's what the people of this district deserve,” she said.

Daughtry, who lives in the district in Johnston County, carries some name recognition because her father was a longtime legislator and because she ran for the seat in 2022. That year, she came up short in the GOP primary to Bo Hines, who lost the general election to Nickel.

Daughtry will likely have a financial edge in the runoff, GOP insiders have told WRAL. She loaned her campaign more than $2 million for the March 5 primary, where none of the candidates received enough votes to win the GOP nomination outright.

But Knott may have an easier time raising money now that he has Trump’s endorsement, GOP insiders say.

“It’s more important than ever to send principled conservatives like Brad Knott to Congress to push back against these reckless policy disasters and restore sanity for the voters in the 13th [district], which is why he has the full support of AFP Action and why we will be deploying our grassroots activists across the district hitting doors and phones until election day,” said Voigt, the Americans For Prosperity’s state director.

Voigt declined to say how much Americans For Prosperity might spend to support Knott.