Charlotte Observer endorsements: Our picks for US House Districts 12 and 14

Under North Carolina’s new congressional map, Mecklenburg County is split between two U.S. House districts: the 12th and the newly created 14th. Both districts encompass large portions of Charlotte and dip into surrounding counties.

Also different this year is that U.S. Rep. Dan Bishop will no longer represent part of Mecklenburg County. Bishop is running in the 8th Congressional District, which includes counties north and east of Mecklenburg.

Both of Mecklenburg’s congressional districts are fairly safe for Democrats, so they won’t play much of a role in determining which party controls the House after November. Still, the midterms are expected to be consequential: Republicans are favored to flip the House, according to a forecast from FiveThirtyEight. That could result in the disbanding of the Jan. 6 committee, investigations into the current administration and attempts to impeach President Biden.

U.S. House District 12

Incumbent Alma Adams is seeking another term in this reliably blue district, which includes the northeastern half of Mecklenburg County as well as part of Cabarrus.

The choice is obvious: Adams has been an attentive representative and strong advocate for Charlotte since 2014. She’s helped secure funding for HBCUs, is the co-founder of the Black Maternal Health Caucus and has been a leader on affordable housing. As a congresswoman, Adams has also championed student debt relief and has worked to increase benefits for working class families. Voters should feel confident giving her another term.

Adams is opposed by Republican Tyler Lee, an election denier who says the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic fueled his decision to enter the political arena for the first time.

Lee, a real estate investor, spends far more time focusing on culture wars than actual public policy, harnessing right-wing rhetoric for media exposure and political gain. In most cases, his attempts to create a spectacle fall flat, but they’re shameless nonetheless. When Adams tested positive for COVID in August, Lee used it as an opportunity to mock her on Twitter. More recently, he tried to drum up opposition to a family-friendly event involving drag performers, whom he disparagingly referred to as “predators” and “pedophiles.”

It’s not just that Lee’s extreme views are out of touch with progressive voters in the district he is seeking to represent. His rhetoric is harmful, and it reflects poorly on our city and state. We strongly recommend Adams.

U.S. House District 14

North Carolina gained a congressional district after the 2020 census, and it contains the rest of Mecklenburg County and a large portion of Gaston County. While the district is still quite Democratic, it’s the closer of the two races. (Of note: the state’s congressional maps are expected to be redrawn again for the 2024 election, which could change this district significantly.)

Jeff Jackson, who has represented Mecklenburg County in the state Senate since 2014, is running for Congress after dropping out of North Carolina’s U.S. Senate race late last year. His opponent, Pat Harrigan, is a first-time political candidate who owns a gun manufacturing business. Both candidates are Army veterans.

Jackson, with his independent voice and ability to connect with voters, has long been a star among North Carolina Democrats. He’s sharp on nearly every issue but has been particularly outspoken on gerrymandering and criminal justice reform in the state legislature. Jackson knows this district especially well — he was once a Gaston County prosecutor — and would represent all of it.

Harrigan did not respond to interview requests from the Editorial Board, but he appears to be a reliably Republican candidate who is pro-life and pro-Second Amendment. He has made inflation and public safety a focus of his campaign. Harrigan lived in Hickory until deciding to run for office, but he has said that if he wins the election, he will move his family to the district.

We recommend Jackson, who would bring advocacy and experience with him to Washington.

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