The News & Observer: “Jeff Jackson is walking away from the U.S. Senate race. The 39-year-old state senator from Charlotte is the second candidate in recent weeks to make that decision, which leaves former N.C. Supreme Court Justice Cheri Beasley as the biggest-name candidate for the Democratic nomination.
“Cheri Beasley is consistently leading in the polls,” Jackson said. “She has also served this state honorably for over two decades and has always fought on the side of justice. I’ve also gotten to know her personally and I can tell you she’s wonderful.” Jackson had announced his campaign in January and campaigned around North Carolina, ensuring he visited all 100 counties. He drew crowds, sometimes even meeting with them in the rain or offering to grab a beer with them in a bar.
Beasley has led a quieter campaign that has ramped up in recent weeks and while she was thought to have been the front-runner, Jackson was a clear threat. “For Beasley, it means she moves from being the soft front-runner to virtually the only runner,” said Chris Cooper, political science professor at Western Carolina University. “I mean, it’s her race at this point.”