Carolina Journal’s David Bass takes an interesting look at the 2nd District race for Congress, where incumbent Republican Renee Ellmers has three primary challengers. What’s more, three Democrats are vying for the Democratic nomination and the chance to take back the seat for Democrats.
In 2008, Obama won the 2nd district, 53 percent to 47 percent, over Republican John McCain. Under the new maps, McCain would have been the victor by a sizeable margin — 56 percent to 43 percent.
So, why did three fellow Republicans — Clement Munno, Sonya Holmes, and Richard Speer — file to challenge Ellmers? Political experts and operatives suggest that three factors contributed to the crowded primary: The redrawn district encompasses a new constituency, Ellmers is a freshman lawmaker on her first re-election outing, and widespread anti-incumbent sentiment is driving challengers.
Ask Ellmers’ foes for the reasons, and they’ll say it’s because Ellmers hasn’t fulfilled her campaign promises in office.
