Tim D’Annunzio, one of two Republican candidates in the North Carolina’s 8th Congressional District runoff, holstered his rhetorical handguns yesterday at a town hall forum, even going so far as to answer questions about his past.
That’s in contrast to a “let’s-get-it-on” press conference Monday where D’Annunzio refused to answer allegations of past drug use, criminal activity, and unorthodox beliefs ? and blustered at anyone who tried to ask him.
Charlotte’s WCNC-TV has the details:
Republican congressional candidate Tim D’Annunzio took questions Wednesday, offering what he called “context” about scandals from his past that have many Republican party leaders speaking out against his candidacy.
“I?m okay with who I am enough to where I don?t really care how people try to define me,” D’Annunzio told the group at a town hall meeting in Stanly County’s Oakboro.
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Wednesday night in Oakboro, D’Annunzio offered an olive branch.
“I don’t fault anybody in the Republican Party. I want those people to come back,” he said.He admitted to using drugs in his past and acknowledged a criminal record. (He had previously admitted these things on a controversial blog he writes called “Christ’s War.”)
“For a year I struggled with that, and I overcame (sic) it. Not a lot of people do, and I thank God that I was able to,” D’Annunzio said.
Asked about his temper, he laughed, “I’m Italian,” and promised to fight passionately for issues important to conservatives in his District 8.
The runoff is scheduled for June 22. D’Annunzio’s opponent is former sports broadcaster Harold Johnson.
