The Independent View: NC Schedules Do-Over 9th Congressional District Elections

On Monday, the North Carolina State Board of Elections set the Schedule for the Special Election for the 9th Congressional District.

The Candidate Filing Deadline will be on March 15th, and Party Primaries will take place May 14th.

North Carolina Requires a Primary Runoff for Contests where No one takes at least 30% of the Vote. The Runoffs would take place on Sept. 10th, and the General Election would be Nov. 5th. However, if No Runoffs are Required, the General Election would be held on Sept. 10th.

Note that this Special Election is taking place on a Different Schedule than the Contest for the 3rd District. Board Director Kim Strach said this is because the State wants to make sure Election Officials have time to Deploy Staff to Bladen and Robeson Counties, which were at the Center of the Election Fraud Scandal last fall.

In the 3rd district, primaries are set for April, with the General Election in September unless there are No Runoffs, in which case it would take place in July.

Democrat Dan McCready, a Marine Veteran and Businessman, is Running again in the 9th, and he’s unlikely to face any Serious Opposition in the Primary. However, the GOP will probably face a Crowded Contest for the Nomination in this Suburban Charlotte District. Two Republicans, former Charlotte City Councilor Kenny Smith and Union County Party Chair Dan Barry, both recently announced that they would Not Run, but more are on the way.

WBTV reports that State Sen. Dan Bishop is in and will Self-Fund $250,000, though Bishop has Not yet announced he’s Running. Bishop is best known as the Author of House Bill 2 in 2016, also known as the anti-LGBT “bathroom bill.” The Law, which Required anyone using Bathrooms at Schools or Public Facilities to use the Restroom associated with the Gender on their Birth Certificate, caused a National Backlash and led a Number of Businesses to Cancel Planned Expansions into North Carolina, and it also contributed to GOP Gov. Pat McCrory’s 2016 Defeat. Bishop’s Career survived, though, and last year, he was Re-Elected 53-47 in a Seat that Trump carried 50-47.

The only notable Declared Republican Candidate so far is Union County Commissioner Stony Rushing, who has the Endorsement of 2018 Nominee Mark Harris. It’s unlikely that National Republicans will want to Nominate someone who can be Tied to Harris.