With Moore out of the race for NC’s newly-drawn 13th District, which includes western and northern Mecklenburg County, Cawthorn has a significantly clearer opening. Several Republican leaders in the county either declined to comment or did not return calls when asked about their opinions of Cawthorn.
But some did speak publicly, and others raised concerns about whether Cawthorn truly understands suburban and urban conservatives, and whether his support would come from locals versus outside PACs.
“He’s a joke, and unfortunately as a resident of the 13th District I don’t want the joke to be on us,” said Charles Jeter, a Republican former state representative and Huntersville town board member. “A lot of folks in the Republican Party recognize that, frankly, if Madison Cawthorn is the future of the Republican Party then the Republican Party doesn’t have a future.”…
Larry Shaheen, a Charlotte attorney and Republican consultant, said Trump’s potential influence in the primary for the 13th District should concern voters.
“The Republican part of this state needs to decide whether it’s going to be run from Mar-a-Lago or our local communities,” he said, referring to Trump’s private Florida club. “Because right now it looks like it’s run from Mar-a-Lago and I’m not good with that.”
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