Mike McIntyre

slideshow

Staff report

LUMBERTON — U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre touts his conservative credentials as a Blue Dog Democrat, but he can’t get out of the crosshairs of the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Fresh off re-election and recently sworn in for a ninth term, McIntyre has again been targeted by the committee, which wants to put a Republican in the 7th District seat during the 2014 election. McIntyre was also targeted by the committee during the 2012 election, but defeated state Sen. David Rouzer in a close campaign that was one of the most expensive in the state.

McIntyre also survived redistricting by the Republican-controlled General Assembly that left only a sliver of Robeson County in the redrawn district. McIntyre’s Lumberton home is no longer in the district.

According to the National Republican Congressional Committee, McIntyre’s district has backed the Republican candidate for president in the last elections,, which is why it is being targeted. McIntyre was one of seven House Democrats the committee targeted in a statement released this week. The others are Ron Barber and Ann Kirkpatrick in Arizona, John Barrow in Georgia, Jim Matheson in Utah, Collin Peterson in Minnesota and Nick Rahall in West Virginia.

“These Democrats all share something in common: They do not fit their districts,” the committee said in a statement. “The NRCC will amplify its efforts to educate voters about these mismatches and provide strong alternatives. If the Democrats lose these districts, they are likely to be lost for a generation.”

McIntyre has often found himself opposing proposals by President Obama. He voted against the automobile bailout, he opposed the health-care overhaul, and he said recently he is doesn’t favor Obama’s efforts to toughen gun laws.

Most of Robeson County is now in the 8th District, which is represented by Richard Hudson, a first-term Republican from Concord.