22 file for new 13th Congressional District

A total of 22 candidates have filed to run for the new 13th congressional district, which was created in February when the federal courts rejected the former congressional district maps as a racial gerrymander and forced the NC General Assembly to redraw the maps.

A congressional primary has been set across the state for June 7 through a special election. Filing closed at noon today.

Three Democrats are seeking their party’s nomination in the new 13th Congressional District, which includes High Point and much of Greensboro, and stretches to the west through Davidson and Davie counties, and into parts of Rowan and Iredell counties. The Democratic slate includes

• Bruce Davis, a former Guilford County Commissioner from High Point who was previously a candidate for the 6th district before the old map was thrown out;

• Bob Isner, a Greensboro developer who is the father of professional tennis player John Isner;

• Mazie Ferguson, a Greensboro resident who recently made an unsuccessful bid for state labor commissioner;

• Adam Coker, a business person from Greensboro; and

• Kevin Griffin, a Durham resident who owns a staffing company and recently lost the Democratic primary for US Senate to Deborah Ross.

State law allows people members of Congress to live outside of the district that they represent.

The 13th district was drawn to favor a Republican candidate, and attracted heavy interest from several Republican state lawmakers, including

• John Blust, a state House member from Greensboro;

• Julia Howard, a state House member from Mocksville;

• Harry Warren, a state House member from Salisbury; and

• Andrew Brock, a state senator from Mocksville.

Other Republican candidates include

• Hank Henning, a Guilford County commissioner from High Point;

• George Rouco, a former CIA officer from Mooresville;

• Jim Snyder, a former candidate for lieutenant governor from Lexington; and

• Vernon Robinson, a Winston-Salem political consultant who gained notoriety as a member of Winston-Salem City Council by erecting a Ten Commandments monument outside of City Hall. Robinson, who lost his city council seat to Molly Leight in 2005, lives outside the 13th district.

Other Republican candidates include Charles A. Gant, Dan Barrett, David W. Thompson, Farren K. Shoaf, Jason A. Walser, Kathy Feather, Matthew J. McCall, Kay Daly and Ted Budd.

In the 5th district, stretching from Forsyth County into the northwestern corner of the state, the Republican slate held with incumbent Virginia Foxx and challenger Pattie Curran, while three Democrats jumped into the race. The Democratic primary slate includes Josh Brannon, the Democratic nominee in 2014; Jim Roberts, who previously filed for the 6th district; and Charlie Wallin.

The 6th district slate remains stable, with incumbent Mark Walker and challenger Chris Hardin vying for the Republican nomination. Pete Glidewell of Elon was the only Democrat to file. He is spared a primary contest by virtue of former opponents Bruce Davis and Jim Roberts transferring into the 13th and 5th district races, respectively.

Alma Adams relocated to Charlotte to file in the new 12th district, which previously snaked from Charlotte to Greensboro, but now lies completely within Mecklenburg County. She will defend her seat in the Democratic primary against several seasoned Charlotte politicians, including state House members Tricia Cotham, Rodney Moore and Carla Cunningham, and former state senator Malcolm Graham. Gardenia Henley of Winston-Salem is also running in the Democratic primary, along with Rick Bryson, Tom Hill and Rick Miller.

Leon Threatt, Paul Wright and Ryan Duffie are competing in the Republican primary for the 12th district.