Republican U.S. Rep. George Holding won the year’s only congressional primary between incumbents, ousting Rep. Renee Ellmers on Tuesday from a redrawn district that includes much of the territory that elected him before. The Koch-backed Americans for Prosperity and the Club for Growth each contributed six-figure amounts to the anti-Ellmers effort, citing the congresswoman’s willingness to compromise on spending legislation and her vote to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank as proof that her conservatism didn’t extend to her votes on major issues.
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Renee Ellmers became the first Republican incumbent to lose a primary on Tuesday just days after Donald Trump endorsed her.
Ellmers is taking heat for some of her votes, including for a bipartisan budget deal, and for helping delay in 2015 a vote on a bill outlawing abortion after 20 weeks.
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.
“She has become a mean girl on steroids in my view”, Sandrock told WNCN-TV.
The two ended up pitted against each other after federal judges in February struck down two North Carolina congressional district boundaries as illegal racial gerrymanders. “I felt connected to just who she was and what she represented”.
Holding is a former federal prosecutor who began the criminal investigation of former senator and presidential candidate John Edwards, who beat charges of campaign finance fraud.
Carter Wrenn, Holding’s general consultant, said “people not only disagreed with her votes, but they thought she was trying to fool them”.
CaryCitizen does not take a stance on elections or endorse candidates but we encourage everyone who is able to go out to vote and make their voice heard. Tenth District Rep. Patrick McHenry of Denver, the chief deputy whip in the House, pushed back three challengers Tuesday in his Republican primary, receiving almost 80 percent of the votes cast.
Canedo said he watched the televised debate between Holding, Ellmers and Brannon – but Canedo also dug into their records. It was the only congressional primary between incumbents this year, thanks to a redrawn North Carolina congressional map. Holding was drawn out of his current 13th District and made a decision to run against Ellmers in the 2nd District. After the votes were tabulated, Edmunds garnered almost half of the ballots, meaning he and runner-up Mike Morgan will head to the general election in November.”It is important to exercise the right to vote regardless of how many people are on the ballot”, she said.
“They’re pretty close”, Fiorentino said. According to NPR, outside groups had spent more than $1 million against her.
A third candidate, Greg Brannon, is also in the battle for the 2nd District.
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Over the weekend, U.S. Rep. Renee Ellmers’ campaign sent out an email featuring a recording from Trump saying he needs the North Carolina Republican’s help in Washington.
