Republican Congresswoman Renee Ellmers was caught on camera Tuesday telling a female acquaintance that she had gotten too fat and needed to lay off the pork.
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Tuesday’s victor will have the upper hand in November to win the Republican-leaning district.
Another primary was held March 15, but these races were delayed after rulings by judges on redistricting and an alternate way for a sitting justice to be elected.
Court-ordered redistricting pushed the congressional primaries to June, making the contests easy to overlook even for the most dedicated voters.
Sandrock backed Ellmers in her previous runs for Congress, but this time around she supported Ellmer’s opponent, George Holding. That changed Tuesday – if only because two incumbents ran against each other for a North Carolina seat. Two-time Senate primary candidate Greg Brannon also got 24 percent of the vote.
Despite a last minute robocall from Donald Trump over the weekend, Ellmers faced an uphill battle because of lobbying efforts by groups unhappy with her House voting record.
The race to succeed retiring Rep. Lois Capps in the Democrat’s Santa Barbara-area district is unpredictable.
And yet Donald Trump still endorsed the woman who betrayed conservatives, saying she was “terrific and boy, is she a fighter”. Sandrock supported her challenger, Rep. George Holding, after years of previously backing Ellmers. Holding presented himself as more conservative than Ellmers.
He said he just felt that Brannon was a bit more conservative than Holding. The Club for Growth has spent millions against both Trump and Ellmers combined, accusing both candidates of being liberal on fiscal issues.
Once the primary votes have been finalized, election workers will begin gearing up for November’s General Election, Kearney said.
In the Democratic primary across the district, McNeil received 7,564 votes or 46.13 percent; Watson received 3,847 votes or 23.46 percent; Hight received 1,856 votes or 11.32 percent; Sanyal received 1,749 votes or 10.67 percent; and Brewington received 1,380 votes or 8.42 percent.
Jason Kirkman and Emily Webster, canvassers for the anti-abortion group, were knocking doors in a suburban Apex, N.C., neighborhood last Tuesday afternoon.
Conservative groups have spent almost $1.2 million this year trying to defeat Ellmers, lead by about $790,000 from Club for Growth Action, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
Outside groups – including the pro-life/antiabortion groups the National Right to Life Committee and Susan B. Anthony List – argue Holding, elected in 2012, is more conservative than Ellmers.
“Congressman Holding has been a faithful advocate for the sanctity of life, as evidenced by his excellent voting record, as well as his work and relationships with other champions of life”, said the List in a statement.
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Not many are expected to cast ballots in this one – turnout will likely be in the low double digits.
