“It’s my opinion he wants to get down closer to the Charlotte media market and set himself up for a statewide run in the future”
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While District 13 is squarely red with almost no chance of a Democrat taking it, Cawthorn didn’t want just any Republican to claim it.
“I am afraid that another establishment go-along-to-get-along Republican would prevail there,” Cawthorn said.
It appeared to be a direct jab at Republican N.C. Speaker of the House Tim Moore, who was expected to announce a Congressional run for the new District 13. Now, with Cawthorn beating Moore to the punch, Moore won’t be running after all.
“I think he likes to poke at the establishment Republicans,” Cooper said.
Indeed, it’s not out of character for Cawthorn. He’s publicly insulted U.S. Sen. Tom Tillis — a state party bigwig and former speaker of the N.C. House — by calling him a RINO, Republican in Name Only.
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Cawthorn not only pulled an end-run around N.C. Speaker of the House Moore who was expected to run for the new 13th district, he threw a wrench in the state party’s redistricting strategy. New Congressional district lines had been painstakingly drawn to create a territory just for Moore.
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“They went to extremes to create this map,” Cooper said.
With Cawthorn switching districts, that was now all for naught.
