VP Pence’s Charlotte Visit: Will It Boost GOP In NC Primary?

CHARLOTTE, NC — Vice President Mike Pence will be in Charlotte Friday, headlining an event heralding recently enacted tax cuts. Political analysts say the public appearance is aimed at helping Republicans stay in the majority.

Pence’s visit to Charlotte — where Rep. Robert Pittenger faces not only a hard primary inside his own party but also a looming threat that North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District could flip to Democrats — is part of his ongoing national public tour aimed at curbing GOP losses in what Politico says “are shaping up to be bruising 2018 midterm elections.”

The Vice President is scheduled to speak at the April 20 “Tax Cuts To Put America First” event at the Park Expo and Conference Center in Charlotte. The event is sponsored by America First Policies, a nonprofit organization that supports much of President Trump’s agenda, such as tax reform and trade. Pence has made appearances at other stops on the “Tax Cuts To Put America First” tour in the last month, in Minnesota, North Dakota, Georgia and New Hampshire, the News & Observer said.

Pence’s ability to effectively sway voters on behalf of the Trump administration, however, “is negligible” based upon recent election results in Alabama and Virginia, political analyst Dr. Michael Bitzer of Catawba College told Patch.

SEE ALSO: Are You Registered To Vote? What You Need To Know For NC Primary

Given that early voting for North Carolina’s May 8 primary begins April 19 — the day before Pence’s visit to the Queen City — we wanted to hear Bitzer’s thoughts about the primary and the potential impact the vice president’s visit might have on it.

Below is an interview with Bitzer by email, lightly edited for clarity.

Patch: How strong is Pittenger's position going into the May 8 primary? How likely could this seat flip to Democrats?

Dr. Michael Bitzer: The key to midterm elections are typically the fact that midterms are referendums on the president and his party, and even if a president is “above water” in his job approval, seats may still be lost in both the House and Senate. With Trump’s approval sitting in the high 30s to low 40s, this doesn’t bode well for Republicans in their campaigns this fall. With that said, in the North Carolina 9th [congressional district], Trump got 54 percent of the vote in the 9th, while Pittenger got 58 percent of the vote.

Pittenger has some cushion in the district by overperforming the president in 2016, but any Democratic wave of significant size will make the seat likely a competitive one come the fall. Right now, the Cook Political Report puts the 9th [congressional district], along with the 13th [congressional district, which is currently represented by Rep. Red Budd], in the “lean GOP” column.

Patch: Pittenger narrowly beat Mark Harris last time around in the primaries. What is your sense about the match-up in this primary?

Bitzer: I think both candidates are trying to show that they are the most closely aligned with the president, so it will be a potentially hard primary election. If Harris can replicate his performance, and without a third candidate in the race, it should be another close one, but early polling seems to give Pittenger the edge, probably due to the power of incumbency.

Patch: How do you see Pittenger's allegiance to Trump playing into primary decisions with conservative voters?

Bitzer: Certainly the core of primary voters will be conservative Republicans and aligned with the president in terms of approval, based on national polls that have Republicans supportive of the president. The question becomes, if Pittenger or Harris makes it through the primary, how will they face an electorate that may want an “independent” voice or check on the president?

Patch: Do you expect Pence's trip to Charlotte to move the needle at all for the primary?

Bitzer: I think it sends a clear signal that the president and the administration is behind Pittenger, but the ability of the president and his administration to sway voters is negligible, due to the Alabama US Senate election and the Virginia gubernatorial election.

Voters in Virginia faced an early test of voter moods at the ballot box in November 2017 in one of the first statewide elections after Trump was elected in 2016. It’s voters chose Democrat Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam as governor. Additionally, Democrat Danica Roem became Virginia’s first openly transgender elected official when she unseated a 13-term Republican for a seat in the House of Delegates. Alabama faced a similar political upset In December when Republican Roy Moore lost his bid for U.S. Senate in Alabama in a stunning defeat to Democrat Doug Jones.

The Tax Cuts To Put America First event begins at 3:15 p.m. April 20 at the Park Expo and Conference Center located at 800 Briar Creek Road. The event is free, however, tickets are required. Doors open at 1:15 p.m. You can find more information about the event and how to get tickets here.

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