ALBEMARLE — On Nov. 4, the North Carolina General Assembly passed new congressional maps that are guaranteed to result in new representation for Stanly County in the U.S. Congress. The maps contain a 14th U.S. House seat in addition to 13 revised districts. The seat was added after the 2020 U.S. census data confirmed a statewide gain of over one million residents over the past decade.
The districts will shake up the 2022 U.S. House of Representatives midterm election cycle in North Carolina here in Stanly County. Located entirely in the 8th Congressional District, Stanly was represented by Republican U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson. But Hudson announced he will instead be campaigning for the new 10th District, while U.S. Rep. Dan Bishop, a Republican currently representing the state’s 9th Congressional District, will run for the new 8th District, which still includes Stanly.
Since 2013, Hudson has represented the 8th District, which extended from Concord to Spring Lake and included Stanly, Cabarrus, Montgomery, Moore and Hoke counties as well portions of Rowan and Cumberland counties. The redrawn district is now made up of Stanly, Union, Anson, Montgomery, Richmond, Moore, Hoke and Scotland counties, with a portion of Mecklenburg County.
With his Concord residence now included in the 10th District, Hudson has announced his plans to pursue that district instead.
“Today I announce my intention to run for re-election in the new 10th District,” Hudson said in a Nov. 8 press release. “I have a proven track record as a conservative who knows how to get things done. Working together, we can stand up to the radical, big government policies coming out of Washington, DC, and work on solutions to grow our economy, defend our rights, and get our country back on the right track.”
Now, with Hudson leaving an open spot in the 8th District, Bishop — the current 9th District representative — will move so he can be better positioned to run in the 8th. While you legally do not have to live in the district you run in, opponents often make a campaign issue of candidates who do not.
Bishop released a statement on Nov. 10 confirming his next course of action: “It’s official, I’m running for re-election in NC-8 in 2022. North Carolinians have seen enough with Democrats in charge. Together, we can win back the House and send a message to Joe Biden and the radical Left.”
Bishop is currently considered the frontrunner to become the next representative for the seat, considering his well-established donor pool and his powerful allies from serving in Washington, including former President Donald Trump.
GOP state Rep. Wayne Sasser, who represents District 67, told SCJ that he is excited for the chance to serve Stanly County alongside Bishop if the opportunity arises.
“I look forward to working with Dan,” Sasser said on Nov. 12. “I knew him a little bit in the House and the Senate. So, I consider him my friend, and he runs hard and he’ll fit right in with Stanly County.”
Sasser reflected on the recent redistricting changes within Districts 8, 9 and 10 and how that will remove Hudson as the area’s representative.
“I hate to lose Hudson, but having relationships with two different representatives is not a bad thing,” he said. “Both of them are great people, and they’re in good districts I think.”