Category: fox-news/us/us-regions/southeast/north-carolina

Trump endorses former Green Beret, Army colonel in their bids to flip House seats from blue to red

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

Former President Trump on Friday endorsed two Republican House candidates, both of whom served in the U.S. Army and are seeking to flip Democrat-held seats this fall.

Trump's endorsements of Derrick Anderson, a former U.S. Army Special Forces Green Beret, and Laurie Buckhout, a former Army colonel, came one day after his debate against President Biden.

In his endorsement of Anderson, the Republican nominee to represent Virginia's 7th Congressional District, Trump said, "He bravely fought for our Great Country as a Green Beret, and was deployed to Afghanistan, Bahrain, Jordan, Israel, and Lebanon. Unlike the current administration, he never left anyone behind!

"Derrick is America First all the way, and he is running against a weak and pathetic Democrat named Yevgeny ‘Eugene’ Vindman who, along with Adam ‘Shifty’ Schiff and others, lied to push the Ukraine Impeachment Hoax, a continuation of the greatest and most dangerous Political WITCH HUNT in the History of our Country."

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Anderson is running for the seat held by Rep. Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat who announced in November that she would seek the Democratic Party's nomination for governor of Virginia in 2025.

"Derrick Anderson has my Complete and Total Endorsement - HE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN," Trump said.

In announcing his campaign in September, Anderson told Fox News Digital he could "no longer remain silent on the sidelines."

"I have spent my life serving this country overseas, including combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. Watching President Biden and Washington Democrats squander 22 years of sacrifices made by our service members and their families was the final straw for me," Anderson said at the time.

Anderson served in the Army from 2006 to 2014 before his first run for Congress in 2022. That year, he narrowly lost the Republican primary to former congressional candidate Yesli Vega. Spanberger, a former CIA operative, defeated Vega in the general election by just under 5%, securing her third term after she was first elected in the 2018 midterms.

Anderson advanced to the general election after defeating five other Republicans in the state's June 18 primary. He will face off against Vindman, the Democratic Party's nominee, Nov. 5.

In his endorsement of Buckhout, the Republican nominee to represent North Carolina's 1st Congressional District, Trump said, "Laurie bravely served our Country as an Army Colonel and Decorated Combat Commander and, in Congress, she will Grow the Economy, Lower Inflation, Uphold the Rule of Law, Secure our Border, Support our Military/Vets, and Protect our always under siege Second Amendment."

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Trump said he believes Buckhout "will be an incredible Representative for the fantastic people" of the state's 1st congressional district.

"Laurie Buckhout has my Complete and Total Endorsement," the former president added.

Buckhout, who served for 26 years in the U.S. Army and reached the rank of colonel before she retired in 2010, is aiming to flip a blue House seat to red in her challenge against incumbent Rep. Don Davis, D-N.C.

Buckhout advanced to the general election in March after defeating Sandy Smith, her sole primary challenger.

Speaking to Fox News Digital earlier this year, Buckhout accused Davis, a U.S. Air Force veteran who served for 14 years in the North Carolina state Senate before getting elected to the House in Nov. 2022, of being a "career politician" who has "never had a day in his life where he's run a business."

Additionally, Buckhout accused Davis of being "beholden" to President Biden and the Democratic policies that continue to wreak havoc on her district.

Davis later fired back at Buckhout's allegations during an interview with Fox News Digital.

"Let me be clear. I want to thank Col. Buckhout for her service to our country. But I think she couldn't be more off on that whole comment because this is not about being beholden," the first-term lawmaker said. "I've heard about flipping the seat. But, for me, it's about fighting every day for families of eastern North Carolina."

Buckhout will face Davis, who ran unopposed, in the general election Nov. 5.

Army vet predicts first red flip of North Carolina district since 1883, citing Biden-era malaise

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

An Army veteran backed by House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik’s women-candidate-recruiting PAC told Fox News Digital this week that she believes she can make history in North Carolina.

Retired Col. Laurie Buckhout said her district is the poorest in North Carolina, and while the economy and jobs are top-of-mind to voters, the first issue they mention to her is immigration.

It is the combination of poverty, an influx of drugs from south of the border and a general malaise in the Biden era that has her potential constituents clamoring for change, Buckhout said. 

She noted her district, which spans from suburban Rocky Mount across nearly 200 miles of small towns to the Outer Banks tourist communities of Duck and Corolla, has not elected a Republican since Chester Arthur was president. 

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"It has been Democrat-led for 141 years, which tells you a lot about why it is the poorest one in North Carolina," she told a large audience at a Wednesday event dubbed "E-PAC" and hosted by Stefanik. "This is our real chance to flip this right now... Democrats are scared."

"My opponent, [Rep.] Don Davis, [D-N.C.] – one of the nicest guys in Congress – is hiding every time Biden comes into the state – they put $850,000 toward him just in the month of May in positive ads."

Speaking to Fox News Digital after the event, Buckhout said it is heartbreaking to see the poverty and signs of drug abuse in many towns where she lives.

"It is poverty. It is jobs. It's the economy. They've been struggling for years. And then you bring Biden in, and he's got his crazy spending and these energy policies that are just crushing [eastern North Carolina] and my highly agrarian district."

However, despite the economic burden, voters tell Buckhout that the border is their top issue.

"I've been talking to some of the poorest folks in the district, and they'll say they're worried about their children's futures."

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In the eastern part of the district, touristy beachfront towns and inland villages are being hit hard by the Biden economy as tourism dollars from the thousands of northerners who vacation there have dropped, she said.

"People can't afford to hop in the car and just go for these long trips anymore. So you see businesses closing, you see little hotels closing. It's a significant impact," said Buckhout, whose hometown of Edenton is one of those soundfront communities.

In response to her criticism, Davis said his primary focus is the families of eastern North Carolina and laid out why he is a "recognized bipartisan leader in Congress."

"I have also been vocal in challenging the White House on issues like WOTUS, the menthol ban, Seymour Johnson AFB job cuts, and the border crisis. I have personally made over 200 visits to counties in the East, traveled to Israel and Ukraine and made multiple trips to the southern border," Davis said.

Pollsters and election analysts in North Carolina also offered their take to Fox News Digital on Buckhout’s confidence in a historic Republican shift in her district:

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One pollster, Professor Peter Francia of East Carolina University in Greenville, said the district has shifted to the right a bit after the 2020 census redistricting, from its comfortable Democratic position.

"The election in the 1st Congressional District in North Carolina will not only be the most competitive congressional election in the state, it could turn out to be one of the most competitive elections in the nation," Francia said.

GOP candidate compared deporting illegal immigrants to Nazis, ‘not opposed’ to fast-tracking DACA citizenship

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A Republican running for Congress in North Carolina previously compared deporting illegal immigrants to Nazi Germany, and said he was "not opposed" to fast-tracking citizenship for recipients of Deferred Action Childhood Arrivals (DACA), also known as "Dreamers."

Pat Harrigan, a candidate running to represent North Carolina's 10th Congressional District, made the comments in an Oct. 2022 interview with WFAE 90.7, a public radio station that services the Charlotte area, while a congressional candidate in a different district ahead of the midterm elections.

"There has to be a pathway to citizenship. Look, from my perspective, you look at countries that have rounded up and exported people from their country. It's a list of countries that we don't want to be involved with. It's Russia. It's North Korea. It's China. It is Nazi Germany," he said when asked about a "pathway to citizenship" for individuals in the U.S. illegally.

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"This horse has left the stables on this topic. And the vast, vast majority of immigrants that have come to this country are here because they're trying to build a better life for themselves and for their families," he said.

The interviewer then asked Harrigan about "Dreamers," those brought to the U.S. as children of illegal immigrants, and whether there should be a process for them to gain citizenship more quickly.

"I think we need to look at exactly how we do that, but I'm not opposed to it. I do think it’s incredibly important that we have to gain control of the southern border and gain control of our immigration system first, prior to allowing any type of assimilation program on a widespread basis. Critically important that we do that one-two step," he responded.

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The topic of immigration came up while Harrigan was being asked about former President Donald Trump, and whether he should run again for the White House in 2024.

Harrigan dodged the question, saying he was "laser focused" on his midterm race, which he later lost. However, the interviewer pressed him, noting his expressed disagreement with Trump's "personal behaviors," but that he agreed with him on certain policy points.

"I certainly share President Trump's perspective — at least a portion of his perspective — on our southern border. I absolutely believe our southern border is a very real and present danger for the national security of this country," Harrigan responded, citing statistics concerning individuals suspected of terrorism infiltrating the U.S.

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Harrigan added that he "absolutely" believed the border needed to be secured, but that he diverged with Trump on the issue of labor.

"We have a massive labor crisis in this country right now. And quite frankly, we are wasting the best opportunity that we have had in the last 50 years to regenerate and regrow the American manufacturing capability, domestic manufacturing, because we don't have any labor to support it. We have to have an ample flow of immigrants into this country," he said.

"I'm very pro-immigration," he added.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Harrigan said the "use of an oppobook by establishment politicians to attack … a decorated combat veteran" exposed their "fear" of his commitment to America-first policies.

"I understand the true cost of freedom and the need for strong national security. My stance is clear: secure our borders first, complete the wall, deport illegal aliens who have broken our laws, and reinstate Trump’s border policies before considering any pathway to citizenship," he said.

"I will fight to rectify the border crisis caused by Biden and radical democrats, advocate for Trump’s policies and push for the impeachment of DHS Secretary Mayorkas for failing to protect our nation," he added.

Harrigan's campaign also pointed Fox News Digital to an ad it released addressing the border crisis.

North Carolina's 10th Congressional District is currently represented by Republican Rep. Patrick McHenry, who briefly served as speaker pro tempore following former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's ouster in October. It is a deep-red district considered a safe seat for Republicans.

McHenry announced in December that he would not seek re-election.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

NC GOP expected to censure Sen. Burr over Trump impeachment vote

Posted on by Evie Fordham
The North Carolina GOP Central Committee is expected to censure Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., on Monday night over his impeachment vote — making him the latest Republican to face home state backlash after breaking with former President Donald Trump.