2020 Election

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina state legislator has entered the 2020 gubernatorial race, providing a rival in the Republican primary for Lt. Gov. Dan Forest, who's been preparing for years to seek the party's nomination.

State Rep. Holly Grange of Wilmington announced her candidacy on Thursday in a campaign video . Grange called herself a "pro-business law-and-order, Trump-supporting conservative."

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — President Donald Trump endorsed North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis on Tuesday, delivering a significant political asset for the first-term Republican senator already facing a primary challenge for his reelection next year in the closely divided state.

Trump tweeted his "Full and Total Endorsement" to Tillis, who has faced criticisms from members of the state's GOP base questioning whether he's given full-throated support to the president.

Wednesday is Night 1 of the first primary debate of the 2020 election cycle.  Democrats scheduled to appear at the Wednesday debate in Miami include Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan, former Maryland Rep. John Delaney and Hawaii Rep.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina's 2020 U.S. Senate race expanded Tuesday as another former North Carolina state legislator with a military background and previous statewide campaign experience officially joined the Democratic field.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A former North Carolina state senator is switching races, announcing Monday that he's joined the Democratic effort to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, whose seat would be a major pickup for Democrats trying to win back a Senate majority.

Cal Cunningham, a familiar name in state Democratic circles, revealed to The Associated Press that he's no longer running for lieutenant governor and has switched instead to the 2020 U.S. Senate race.

One of the early front runners in the bid for the Democratic presidential primary vote is stopping in Asheville on Fri.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A retired North Carolina financier challenging Republican U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis in next year's GOP primary says he'd stand with President Donald Trump on issues like cutting foreign aid and immigration.

Garland Tucker of Raleigh formally announced his candidacy Wednesday, two days after filing paperwork to create a campaign committee . Tucker's campaign says he made the announcement on Sean Hannity's national radio show.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Forest has taken another step — but not a surprising one — toward running for governor in 2020.

Forest announced Monday that he has formed an "exploratory" committee to seek the GOP nomination, releasing a brief video in which he talks about building a better North Carolina.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina Democratic legislator is running for the U.S. Senate seat held by Republican incumbent Thom Tillis.

State Sen. Erica Smith, from Northampton County in the northeast, announced her 2020 bid to unseat Tillis on Saturday through social media and at a Democratic Party gathering in Charlotte. Smith is a math instructor and ordained minister first elected to the legislature in 2014.

Mecklenburg County Commissioner Trevor Fuller also announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination last week. Primaries are in March 2020.

Buncombe County Democratic state senator Terry Van Duyn will run for lieutenant governor in 2020.  She made the announcement Monday morning in a video posted on her Twitter account.