Today, the school year ends and the general election campaign begins. Last night, Rep. Richard Hudson clinched the GOP nomination for the 8th Congressional District. He spent about $800,000 to garner just 16,305 votes and still lost three of the seven counties. If his opponent, Tim D’Annunzio, had spent a little more money in the Charlotte media market, he might well be the nominee.
This race should be highly competitive and we should offer voters the choice they deserve. Kay Hagan won the district in 2008 so Democrats can certainly win it this year. Richard Hudson has embraced GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump. I believe that Mr. Trump is unfit for office and Mr. Hudson needs to explain why he supports him.
I believe we should make this election about trying to restore the faith that has been lost in our political system. I ask Mr. Hudson to join me in a series of debates beginning in the fall to give voters a clear understanding of our vision for the 8th District and the nation as a whole. I also ask that he forego any more of the special interest money that has so far fueled his campaign. He can keep what he has raised but from this point forward, we run a race funded by the people, not the corporate interests that have left people so cynical about our politics.
In other news…
The surprise of the night was in the 13th Congressional District GOP primary where first-time candidate Ted Budd beat a field of contenders with better name recognition and more experience, including three state legislators. The district was gerrymandered by Republicans to both double bunk incumbent House members Renee Ellmers and George Holding in the 2nd District and to give state Senator Andrew Brock a shot at Congress. They got rid of Ellmers, as planned, but Brock came in sixth and state Representatives Julia Howard and John Blust have also been sidelined. Karma’s a bitch, as the saying goes. Budd will face Guilford County Commissioner Bruce Davis in November.
In the hotly contested 12th Congressional District Democratic primary, Alma Adams kept her seat despite last minute accusations that she doesn’t live in Charlotte. She held off former state Senator Malcolm Graham and state Representative Tricia Cotham. In the neighboring 9th District GOP primary, incumbent Robert Pittenger won by fewer than 150 votes and is now the nominee with less than 35% of the vote.
Rep. George Holding made Rep. Renee Ellmers a lame duck in the 2nd District GOP race and attorney John McNeil became the Democratic nominee to challenge him.
These primary result indicate very little about the general election. The turnout was in single digits while more than 65% of registered voters will vote in November. Districts that had less than 30,000 voters last night will have more than 300,000 in the general.
Thomas Mills is the founder and publisher of PoliticsNC.com. Before beginning PoliticsNC, Thomas spent twenty years as a political and public affairs consultant. Learn more >
Right, Rep. Holding thought it appropriate that he live in close proximity to the district he hopes to represent.
Mr. Mills wants Rep. Hudson to explain why he supports Donald Trump and well he should. But one has to wonder if Mr. Mills will explain to the voters of the 8th District why they should choose as their Congressional Representative some one who does not reside in the 8th district or even in a county adjacent to the 8th district.
Ellmers and Holding weren’t double-bunked in the 2nd. Holding was relocated to the 4th and he chose to challenge Ellmers in the 2nd.
You are correct. My bad.