With eye on 2020, Trump touts Republican in North Carolina special election

U.S. President Donald Trump participates in a presentation ceremony of the Medal of Valor and heroic commendations to civilians and police officers who responded to mass shootingsin Dayton, Ohio and El Paso, Texas during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, US on September 9. (REUTERS Photo)

 

 

WASHINGTON, September 9 (Reuters): U.S. President Donald Trump is going all-out to try to keep a district of North Carolina in the Republican column in a special congressional election on Tuesday that may serve as a bellwether for his own fortunes in 2020.

 

Trump heads to Fayetteville, a city in North Carolina's 9th district, on Monday to rally Republican supporters in a repeat election of a 2018 contest that was tainted by fraud. Both Republicans and Democrats expect the results on Tuesday to be close and to provide clues about what is ahead in presidential and congressional elections next year.

 

"Looking forward to being in the North Carolina tomorrow night. We’re having a BIG RALLY for a great guy, Dan Bishop," Trump tweeted on Sunday, referring to the Republican nominee, a 55-year-old state senator who has embraced Trump's policies and some of his political tactics. Bishop's campaign says the most important issues are taxes, the economy and immigration.

 

Opinion polling indicates a tight race, with turnout an important factor.

 

"North Carolina, vote for Dan Bishop tomorrow," Trump added on Monday on Twitter. "We need him badly in Washington!"

 

Trump has personally called North Carolina's Republican party chairman several times for updates on the campaign, a Republican involved in the special election said.

 

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence is also campaigning for Bishop, delivering remarks at a "Get out the Vote" event with the candidate in the town of Wingate on Monday before joining Trump later in Fayetteville.

 

The sprawling 9th district, a combination of suburban and rural areas stretching south and east of the city of Charlotte, has been represented by Republicans for decades, and voted for Trump by about 12 percentage points in 2016. A Republican loss would be a worrisome sign for the president and his party.

 

But Democrats are daring to hope for an upset by their candidate, Dan McCready, that would build on their takeover of the House of Representatives from Republicans in elections last year and make further inroads in "Trump country."

 

Bishop's campaign ads have said McCready "admires socialism" and linked him to the "Squad," a group of progressive Democrats in the House that Trump has repeatedly attacked.

 

McCready, 36, a small businessman and U.S. Marine Corps veteran, has focused his race on healthcare, education and the pay of North Carolina teachers.

 

"He (Bishop) is not running against a socialist, he's running against a capitalist, who's built a business from scratch," McCready told CNN. "He's running against a United States Marine."

 

The district was already getting more competitive in 2018 when McCready lost narrowly before state officials ruled the election was marred by an absentee-ballot fraud scheme that benefited McCready's then-opponent, Republican Mark Harris. A new election was ordered, and Harris declined to run again.