Crowded field seeks Republican nomination in Triangle-area congressional district
More than a dozen candidates are vying for the Republican nomination in a Triangle-area congressional district — a crowded pack that could leave unanswered Tuesday who will ultimately appear on November ballots.
Kelly Daughtry, Fred Von Canon, Brad Knott, and DeVan Barbour are considered favorites to emerge from the Republican primary in North Carolina’s 13th Congressional District. But, because the GOP field features 14 candidates, contenders could fail to secure enough votes to win the nomination outright on Tuesday.
A candidate must earn more than 30% of primary votes to win the nomination. If that doesn’t happen Tuesday, the second-place finisher can request a runoff election against the top vote-getter.
The district has drawn a crowd because it now leans heavily Republican. And Democratic U.S. Rep. Wiley Nickel, who won a tight race in 2022, isn’t seeking reelection. Whoever wins would almost assuredly go on to Congress.
North Carolina’s GOP-controlled General Assembly redrew the state’s election maps last year, reconfiguring the 13th District and giving Republicans a major advantage.
In 2022, the district was mostly confined to the southeastern regions of the Triangle in Wake, Johnston and Harnett Counties.
Now, it curls around Wake County like a fish hook. It starts in Caswell County and stretches eastward across the state’s northern border before dropping into Franklin, Johnston and Harnett counties. It then turns west again, capturing the south extremes of Wake County before ending southwest of the Triangle in Lee County.
Barbour and Daughtry, who finished second and third in the 2022 primary for the seat, each live in Johnston County, and GOP insiders expect them to do well there. No other county has as many residents in the district. Their status as favorites has also made them targets. Daughtry has been attacked for donating to Democrats in previous elections. Barbour was allegedly the target of an extortion plot by a former school board member who claimed to have a recording that would damage Barbour’s reputation.
Von Canon, a businessman from Wake Forest, is also considered a top contender. He ran for state house seats in 2020 and 2022, winning the GOP primary before losing close general election races. He has faced attacks for having tax issues in 2007 that led to a misdemeanor charge. His campaign says he’s paid back every cent.
Knott, a former federal prosecutor from Raleigh, is campaigning on being tough on crime and tying the issue to migration at the southern border. He’s faced criticism for working under Democratic administrations and for voting under a wrong address, something he described as a paperwork oversight.
Also seeking the Republican nomination are: Josh McConkey, Kenny Xu, Matt Shoemaker, David Dixon, Marcus Dellinger, Steve Van Loor, Siddhanth Sharma, Eric Stevenson, Chris Baker and James Phillips are also running.
