LUMBERTON — Of three local Democrats whose names have been floated as possible candidates for the 9th District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, one appears in, and two others are out.
Maria Collins Warren, a Democrat from St. Pauls, has announced her candidacy. Her campaign manager, Matthew McGregor, said Friday that she brings the skills and experience needed to serve the district well.
She was no available for an interview, but on her website she wrote: “I am a native North Carolinian, a former prosecutor, an attorney, and an adjunct faculty member at UNCP and UNCW, teaching courses about the US Constitution, law, and policy. I am a wife, a mother, and a Democrat. I am running for the US House of Representatives in North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District for 2018.”
She writes that the first main theme of her campaign is protecting democracy, which she says is being disregarded by many in Washington as an inconvenience. Her second main campaign theme is equality for all Americans.
“All of my experience in law and government means that I will be able to effectively and knowledgeably represent each of you in Congress,” she writes. “I have studied and prepared for this role for my entire life.”
State Rep. Charles Graham, a Democrat from Lumberton, said Thursday that he definitely “not interested” in doing anything but representing Robeson County in Raleigh.
“I am proud to be representing Robeson County,” Graham said. “My No. 1 priority now is the state budget and seeing that Robeson’s County’s interests are considered. There is some legislation pending that is important to Robeson County.”
The timing is not right for him to be thinking about seeking another political office, he said. The mandatory federal court-ordered redistricting of about 30 state legislative districts because of illegal racial gerrymandering might affect his District 47, which includes most of Robeson County, and require him to participate in a special election. Graham’s district is not one of the districts found by the courts to be illegally gerrymandered, but any new district maps that are drawn could change the configuration of his district.
Johnson Britt, the Robeson County district attorney for almost 23 years, said he considered running but has decided against.
“I explored the possibility,” said Britt, “and I received some positive feedback from people in many of the counties in the 9th Congressional District. I also talked with friends who advised me not to run. There is a lot of personal sacrifice that I wasn’t prepared to make.”
Britt said among those he consulted was Mike McIntyre, a Lumberton native who grew up in Britt’s neighborhood and served nine terms in Congress.
Britt said the cost of running was a major factor, saying it was estimated to cost a minimum of $3 million to be competitive in a primary and then that much and more was needed for the General Election.
“And that is for a job that pays $175,000 a year,” he said. “Then because it’s a two-year term, you turn around as soon as you’ve been elected and start campaigning and raising money again.”
The district stretches from Charlotte eastward to Robeson County, and includes many impoverished communities.
It is represented by Robert Pittenger, a Republican from Charlotte who was elected to the seat in 2013. Before being made part of the 9th District, Robeson County had been part of the 8th District and was represented by Richard Hudson, a Republican. For a long time, it was in the 7th District and represented by McIntyre, a Democrat.
Pittenger said earlier this week that he is focusing on serving his constituents in Robeson County rather than spending his time preparing for a congressional race that won’t take place until 2018.
“We are blessed to live in a free country where people have the right to run for political office” Pittenger said in a statement. “We live in very dangerous times and the voters of North Carolina know of my leadership in the defeat of ISIS as chairman of the Congressional Task Force on Terrorism. At this time I am focused on keeping our citizens safe, working to assist the Lumbees in their effort for federal recognition, and getting the citizens of Robeson County more much needed federal funding from Hurricane Matthew. I look forward to continuing our excellent constituent service work and representing the good people of Robeson County.”
McIntyre served nine terms but did not seek re-election in 2015 after line were redrawn and the 7th District no longer included Robeson.
