Margaret Carlson, Columnist

North Carolina's Governor Tries to Ride Trump's Coattails

Most Republican candidates want distance from the party's presidential nominee.

September 30, 2016 at 4:57 PM UTC

Margaret Carlson was a White House correspondent for Time, a weekly panelist on CNN’s “Capital Gang” and an editor at the New Republic.

Heard around the country.
Photographer: Sara D. Davis/Getty Images

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Immediately after the Sept. 26 presidential debate, Hillary Clinton headed to North Carolina to take a bow. It’s easy to see why. The lead in the presidential race has seesawed for months and Donald Trump has been ahead more often than not.

In most swing states, candidates fear that Trump will be a drag on their campaigns. Witness the speed with which Republican senators up for re-election such as John McCain and Kelly Ayotte fled when asked whether they endorse their party's nominee.