In a surprising turn of events, Kelly Daughtry, the Republican candidate who secured the most votes in the GOP primary for North Carolina's 13th Congressional District, has announced the suspension of her campaign. Daughtry's decision comes after her rival, Brad Knott, received an endorsement from former President Donald Trump for the upcoming runoff election.

Although Daughtry emerged as the front-runner among 14 candidates in the primary, she did not meet the required 30% threshold to secure an outright victory. As a result, she and Knott, a former federal prosecutor, had advanced to the scheduled May 14 runoff election.

Expressing her sentiments in a social media post, Daughtry stated that Trump's formal backing of Knott made it clear that her chances of winning were no longer feasible. She affirmed her belief in the democratic process and expressed respect for the endorsement given by the former president.

Knott also garnered the endorsement of Fred Von Canon, who finished third in the primary. Acknowledging her decision, Daughtry announced her full endorsement of Knott, emphasizing her support for him instead of opposition.

However, due to logistical constraints, it is too late to remove Daughtry's name from the ballot. Early in-person voting for the runoff election has been ongoing since May 11, along with absentee balloting conducted for several weeks.

Accepting Daughtry's endorsement, Knott issued a statement, cautioning supporters against assuming his victory in the primary. He urged his followers to turn out and cast their votes on May 14.

The 13th Congressional District encompasses either all or parts of eight counties, forming a horseshoe-shaped boundary that loops around most of the state capital, Raleigh, stretching from Lee County to the Virginia border.

The current representative for the reconfigured 13th District is Democratic newcomer Rep. Wiley Nickel. However, Nickel decided against seeking re-election due to the district's Republican-leaning shift resulting from redistricting by the North Carolina legislature last fall. In addition to Nickel, Democratic incumbents Reps. Jeff Jackson and Kathy Manning also opted not to run, recognizing the challenging political landscape.

Although the GOP runoff winner will face Democratic opponent Frank Pierce in the general election, the departures of the Democratic incumbents could significantly impact the Republicans' chances of maintaining their narrow U.S. House majority come 2025.