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 fundraiser for Budd on Wednesday, then the two answered questions on the economy and education at state Republican Party headquarters. 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, 2021. Still, he voted against certifying the election. Months later, he called the insurrection a “bad day for America,” but also said it was “just patriots standing up.”