Says GOP Rep. Walter Jones: “I like to be a thorn in people’s ass.”
Jones, who represents the 3rd congressional district, has long been just that for the GOP establishment, and they’ve been more than happy to return the favor by stripping him of committee assignments and putting up primary challengers against him just about every cycle.
Last May, Jones survived his biggest challenge yet, against Bush White House official Taylor Griffin, winning 53-47. At one point on the night of the primary, it looked like he was going to lose. Jones went on to win the general by 36 points, the best result for any GOP congressional candidate in NC.
Why does the GOP establishment not like Jones? Simply put, he’s not a team player. He’s more of a paleoconservative than anything else and was probably the most vocal and prominent GOP opponent of the war in Iraq. Two years ago he made headlines for suggesting that for supporting the Iraq War Dick Cheney would end up spending eternity in Hell with the devil, and Daniel Webster was his choice for Speaker over John Boehner in last month’s vote.
Republicans in Washington would really prefer if Jones would just go away quietly. But he’s not going gently into that good night: Jones says he has no plans to retire, and he may well wish to emulate his father, who served in Congress until he died. That’s OK: if Jones won’t go on his own terms, the establishment is perfectly willing to force him out. And it looks like next year is when they finally might get their wish and send Jones back to Farmville. Taylor Griffin apparently plans to challenge the incumbent again, and this time he’ll be a better candidate.
Griffin was perceived as parachuting into the district last cycle, and a lot of Republicans were suspicious of him. Jones effectively defined him as a Washington insider, a pawn of professional politicians and a prodigious party animal. But lately Griffin has been making the rounds and making friends with activists. His message will be the same one he employed last time: Jones is too liberal for this seat and is an ineffective member of Congress, it’s time to replace him with a solid conservative who will be able to get something done for Eastern North Carolina.
The truth, of course, is a little more complicated. And Jones maintains a strong base of support with the Tea Party, a powerful force in the coastal district. A lot of folks have been represented by either Jones or his father for years now and remain loyal to him. He has little room for error, though, and a lot of political operatives seem to think Griffin’s improvement in retail politics and better familiarity with voters will make him an even tougher opponent than he was last time around. Griffin proved his mettle last year by coming so close to Jones and donors will be more willing to write him a check. Put that all together and you have a seriously endangered congressman.
In other news, Renee Ellmers looks like she might get a primary challenger as well. Jim Duncan of Chatham County has launched an exploratory committee, or something of that nature, and looks set to run. It looks like we’ll have at least two congressional incumbents, of the same party but with very different approaches, facing heated primaries, with the possibility that both will go down. It would be quite a change in a state where the status quo often rules the day.
John Wynne is the “conservative voice” at PoliticsNC, where he also provides polling analysis and commentary on legislative campaigns. When not writing about politics, he enjoys gardening and listening to opera. Contact: johncwynne@gmail.com.
I’m with Linda on this one-I’m a native eastern North Carolinian under 40, very liberal, and I always vote for Jones. There are plenty of good reasons to do so, but a big one is the fact that the Democrats often run against him from the right on national security issues. I also respect his change of heart on the war, despite (or maybe even especially) given his cartoonish earlier support of it. Walter embodies much of what I love about eastern North Carolina-humility, honesty, and relishing a good fight. Did you see that ad he did where he tied Taylor Griffin to Christopher Hitchens? That was a man having fun.
Walter may not always have my agreement, but he always has my respect.
A lot of military families in the district, and Jones endeared himself to them by pushing early for us to get out of Iraq. Between that and Linda Kehew’s point, I think the way to victory in the primary for him lies in hanging the Bush administration’s bad decisions on Iraq AND Social Security around Griffin’s neck like a stinky dead albatross. And with gerrymandering, the nomination is tantamount to election.
I am a 65-year-old progressive liberal democrat who always votes for Jones. What swayed me to his side is his support of Veterans and the elderly. Jones was the ONLY Republican in the House not only to SPONSOR but also to VOTE for an Amendment to guarantee Social Security for seniors! And, he continues to vote AGAINST all measures to dismantle Social Security or cut its benefits! GO JONES!!!
Primaried or not primaried, Jones is still very conservative, and he injects too much religion into his congressional representation for my taste. If he loses a primary or an election, so be it, and good riddance.
But if he’s still a House rep the day after Election day 2016, he’ll serve a worthy role by still being a “thorn” in the GOP’s saddle—a good thing, for sure. And as flighty and as “holy” as he tends to be, Jones doesn’t get pushed around and isn’t a yes man for the extreme leadership in his party. I could always live with that too.
How is Jones a paleo-conservative if he’s too liberal for the district?
Keep in mind that he was also among those who scorned the opponents of the Iraq War before it started — he was behind the ridiculous renaming of French fries as Freedom fries in the congressional cafeteria because the French were justifiably opposed to the war. True, he’s made his amends, but it may be just atonement for his sins.
Jones was a Democrat who ran in the old 1st District primary but got beat by Eva Clayton because the district had turned majority black. He then switched parties and won in another district in the ’94 landslide.