State Sen. Dan Bishop walks July 6 in the Lumbee Homecoming Parade in Pembroke. Bishop is the Republican candidate in the Sept. 10 special election for North Carolina District 9 seat in the United States House of Representatives. He is running against Democrat Dan McCready. State Sen. Dan Bishop gives a thumbs up July 6 in the Lumbee Homecoming Parade in Pembroke. Bishop is the Republican candidate in the Sept. 10 special election for North Carolina District 9 seat in the United States House of Representatives. He is running against Democrat Dan McCready. -
CHARLOTTE — A Charlotte attorney with family roots in Bladen County, state Sen. Dan Bishop believes his conservative values are in harmony with voters in the 9th Congressional District.
Bishop is the Republican candidate in the Sept. 10 special election in District 9, which runs from urban Charlotte through Robeson County to Bladen County. Bishop currently is serving his second term in the North Carolina Senate, and previously served two years in the House of Representatives.
Election improprieties in Bladen and Robeson counties caused the North Carolina Board of Elections to throw out the results of the 2018 general election that saw Bishop’s Democratic rival Dan McCready finish about 900 behind Mark Harris, who did not file for the do-over primary.
In the Republican primary, Bishop easily defeated nine other candidates. He said the primary will help him on Sept. 10.
“The primary was a decisive win for me,” Bishop said in a recent interview with The Robesonian. “I won 48% of the vote and won every county.”
Bishop believes campaigning across the district during the primary helped his name recognition and his issue-oriented campaign. McCready had no challenger in the Democratic primary.
Both McCready and Bishop say the Sept. 10 election is a toss-up. Both are hoping their voters will turn out, and both are hard on the campaign trail in Robeson County, the district and beyond.
“We’re raising money, but my opponent is raising more money than I am,” Bishop said. “Out-of-state money is flooding into his campaign from New York, California, New Jersey.”
Bishop believes the contest offers the 9th District a “clear choice.”
“I support President (Donald) Trump,” he said. “I support the economy, jobs and common sense solutions.
“I am proven conservative, and I better reflect the values of the 9th District than Dan McCready. I am defending the Second Amendment and protecting unborn life.
“I am not about changing the values of people. The biggest contrast is that I am upfront about where I stand on the issues.”
The week of July 14 was a busy one that thrust Bishop into the national spotlight. First, he visited Fort Bragg with Vice President Mike Pence, who hosted a fundraiser for Bishop later that day.
Then, Bishop attended President Trump’s campaign rally in Greenville, which he described as “a terrific day.”
“The president recognized me, and I spoke briefly to the crowd,” he said. “There was a packed house of huge Trump fans.”
Bishop believes District 9 is a solidly Trump district, and he hopes the exposure at the rally will help his campaign. His campaign also has taken him to Robeson County, recently at Lumbee Homecoming.
“I enjoyed Lumbee Homecoming,” Bishop said. “I had a collard sandwich and grape ice cream. It was fun.”
Bishop, like McCready, supports federal recognition for the Lumbee Tribe. He recently helped Sen. Danny Britt Jr., who represents Robeson and Bladen counties, pass a bill that will put the Lumbees in a better position to win grants. That bill was signed into law by Gov. Roy Cooper on Thursday.
In the Senate, Bishop sits next to Britt, whom Bishop said is a valuable resource on issues important to Robeson County.
Like his Republican colleagues, Bishop does not believe expanding Medicaid will help Robeson County, despite predictions that it will provide thousands of working poor health coverage, bring jobs and shore of the finances of rural hospitals like Southeastern Health. He does not see a link between critical health issues, such as longevity and infant mortality, and the expansion of health benefits.
“Expanding Medicaid does not equal improved life expectancy,” Bishop said. “We need to solve the doctor shortage first.”
With the state budget impasse over expanding Medicaid between Cooper and the Republican majority in the General Assembly, they have dangled funding for a new health education building at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke. Republicans hope to encourage Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. Charles Graham in Robeson County, to help them override the governor’s veto.
“UNCP is the greatest hope for Robeson County’s health,” Bishop said. “More generally, education is the answer to improving lives and helping people become independent of government assistance.
“UNCP has been a focal point of our recent legislation, with the NC Promise tuition plan and the health-care building.”
He said the reduced tuition program will be a great benefit to Robeson and the entire region.
In the end, Bishop believes he speaks directly to the values and interests of both urban and rural segments of the district.
“My mother is a Kinlaw, and the family came to Bladen County in the 1700s,” he said. “My cousins and extended family still live there.
“People do wonder if someone from Charlotte can serve their interests. I identify with the needs, problems, issues and history of this entire district.”
Reach Scott Bigelow at 910-644-4497 or [email protected]
