Even so, Republicans are gearing up for a potentially tough slog. Burr said that Budd is not as strong in a general election as former Gov. Pat McCrory (R-N.C.), who lost badly to Budd in this month’s primary: “The polling says that, that’s not a personal assessment of mine, because I like Ted. But you’ve got to remember on the other side of a primary election there’s always an opponent.”

Early polls show the North Carolina Senate race will be competitive, and the DSCC included North Carolina in its $30 million field organizing programs. Travis Brimm, Beasley’s campaign manager, said North Carolina is competitive and “national Republicans know it, or they wouldn’t have started spending millions before the GOP primary even wrapped up, to try to keep this seat.”

Ultimately, Tillis expects that Democrats will end up spending tens of millions of dollars in North Carolina. In part, that’s because turning the state into a battleground would help Democrats divert the GOP’s focus from incumbent-held seats in New Hampshire, Nevada, Arizona and Georgia that will ultimately determine who controls the majority.

Not that he thinks it’s a good use of money.