There is a Senate race in North Carolina. There is also an interesting U.S. House of Representatives race in recently redistricted District 1. It is possible with the redistricting that District 1 will be represented by a Republican after 2026. There are a number of Republicans getting into the race.

First, the Senate race. President Trump’s candidate is Michael Whatley. My candidate is Don Brown. I believe Don Brown will represent North Carolina. I believe that Michael Whatley will represent Washington, D.C. Michael Whatley is a little too close to the Washington establishment for my taste. I am looking for someone who will represent North Carolina and will not be afraid to take a stand that benefits North Carolina. Don Brown is a former military Judge Advocate General. He thinks like a lawyer and knows how to debate and make his points.

In the First District House of Representatives race, President Trump’s candidate is Laurie Buckhout. Again, I support President Trump, but I totally disagree with him on this choice.

On Thursday, The Daily Haymaker noted:

Conservative Republican Congressional candidate and Carteret County Sheriff Asa Buck was true to his direct approach when commenting on the announcement that Laurie Buckhout, the loser in the 2024 1st Congressional District election, was entering the race for the 2026 Republican nomination.  

“They say the definition of insanity is repeating the same losing formula again and expecting a different result, and the loser of the last election saying she’s the best choice this time is insane. But Laurie Buckhout’s behavior over the past few weeks may be the new definition of insanity. Her strange behavior in an attempt to manipulate the Republican Primary is puzzling.   She believes running for Congress is Big Business and cares more about special interest money than the people of Eastern North Carolina. That’s why she has earned the name Laurie Sellout.”

The article also notes:

The day following Buckhout’s second phone call, Buck discovered that Buckhout had called another candidate in the Republican Primary, State Senator Bobby Hanig, and told him the White House was encouraging her to run, and if he would drop out of the race, she would make him her Chief of  Staff in Washington.

 “She went from telling me she had health issues and didn’t want to run, to the next day saying she was running and offering somebody a position in her mythical Congressional office if they would drop out of the race.  I was astounded,” Buck said.

Asa Buck and Bobby Hanig are both good candidates and both would do a good job. I tend to favor Bobby Hanig because he was the fighter who made the difference in ShrimpGate. He and three other North Carolina Senators (and many Republicans in the North Carolina House of Representatives) fought against a law that would have ended the shrimping industry in North Carolina. He would be a fighter in Congress.