Pence comes to North Carolina for GOP Senate candidate Budd

By GARY D. ROBERTSON
Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Former Vice President Mike Pence has visited North Carolina to help support U.S. Senate candidate Ted Budd’s candidacy. He attended a luncheon fundraiser for Budd on Wednesday before the two of them answered questions on the economy and education during an event at Republican Party headquarters in Raleigh. Pence became a leading target of former President Donald Trump’s ire after refusing to help him block certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential election win. Budd condemned the violence that prompted Pence to rush to safety on Jan. 6, yet he still voted against certifying the election. Months later, he downplayed the insurrection, calling it a “bad day for America,” but saying it was “just patriots standing up.”