NC state legislators Davis, Edwards begin US House bids

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — More current North Carolina elected officials have thrown their hat into the ring to run for Congress next year, including two sitting members of the General Assembly.

Democratic state Sen. Don Davis of Pitt County kicked off his campaign Wednesday for the 2nd Congressional District seat, which largely covers a region represented by the retiring Democratic Rep. G.K. Butterfield.

Davis, who has served in the legislature dating back to 2009, said his record of working with colleagues to help boost eastern North Carolina made him best positioned to work on Capitol Hill for the district’s rural communities and the military. The district includes Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.

“We have a strong track record of getting it done ... we’re going to continue to stand on that track record,” Davis said.

Others who have already announced Democratic bids for the 2nd District seat include current state Rep. James Gailliard and former state Sen. Erica Smith. Rocky Mount Mayor Sandy Roberson filed federal campaign paperwork on Monday to run for the GOP nomination.

On Tuesday, Republican three-term Sen. Chuck Edwards began his campaign for the far-western 14th Congressional District seat with an event outside the historic courthouse in Henderson County, where he lives, media outlets reported.

“I’ve helped fight for Christian values. I’ve helped fight for the unborn. I’ve helped lower income taxes. I’ve helped create jobs and build an economy here in western North Carolina,” Edwards said about his Senate career. “But, folks, as I look at what’s happening now in Washington, I see just the opposite.”

The seat became more interesting to some potential candidates after GOP Rep. Madison Cawthorn, the region’s current representative, decided three weeks ago to run in a newly created 13th District seat that extends from the foothills eastward to parts of Charlotte.

Edwards, a fast-food restaurant franchise owner, joins a field of at least five other Republicans for the scheduled March 8 primary. Several Democrats also are running for the seat.

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This story has been corrected to show Roberson filed federal campaign paperwork Monday, not Tuesday.