Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of stories about the race for North Carolina’s 7th Congressional District between U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre, a Lumberton Democrat, and his challenger State Sen. David Rouzer, a Johnston County Republican.
It’s one of the hottest races in the country.
Nearly $6 million has been pumped into the race from outside sources, and that doesn’t include the nearly $3 million the candidates’ committees have raised.
CBS News called it “One of eight House races to watch.”
And it’s right in our backyard.
Longtime incumbent Mike McIntyre, a Lumberton Democrat, faces challenger state Sen. David Rouzer, a Johnston County Republican.
McIntyre is seeking re-election to his ninth term in the U.S. House of Representatives in the 7th Congressional District, though the district has shifted considerably. Following the 2010 Census, members of the GOP-controlled North Carolina General Assembly redrew the congressional boundaries—most notably drawing McIntyre out of his district, and drawing Johnston County in to the more Republican-leaning district.
Federal law does not require a U.S. Representative live in the district he or she represents, so McIntyre threw his hat in the ring for another round, though he was not pleased with the new district, saying the district lines were drawn with “vicious intention.”
“We have found, just in recent weeks, and the voting has started as you know, people are just now realizing how devastating it is to have their communities being ripped up, and they’re furious,” McIntyre said.
Johnston County was drawn into the district “solely for the reason of giving my opponent a seat in Congress,” McIntyre said.
More than 50,000 New Hanover County residents and more than 30,000 Pender County residents were drawn out of the 7th District and into the 3rd—a battle for which is being waged by U.S. Rep. Walter Jones, a Republican, and his Democratic challenger Erik Anderson.
PAC spending
According to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), nearly $6 million has been spent in the 7th District race by outside political parties and Political Action Committees (PACs) at the time of this story’s publication.
PACs and party committees are required to disclose spending to FEC officials more frequently than individual candidates. If more than $10,000 is spent, it must be reported to the FEC before the end of the second day after the communication is publically distributed.
The big PAC spenders include the National Republican Congressional Committee, Young Guns Action Fund, Young Guns Network Inc., Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the House Majority PAC.
The outside spending, McIntyre said, was disappointing— including the spending that benefited his candidacy.
“I think it’s very unfortunate that all of these outside groups—and I said all—have decided to try to come in and try to affect a local election. The bottom line for our campaign has always been this should be a local congressional race to select someone to go to Washington to represent the local people of our area,” McIntyre said.
Of the money spent, Rouzer said, “We don’t have any control over it, one way or another.”
But Rouzer said he was not surprised by the amount of money spent.
“This is a race that has piqued the national interest, and particularly the leadership on both sides,” Rouzer said.
Rouzer described McIntyre as “one of the toughest Democrats to run against in the country.”
“The other component is the fact that if the Democrats lose this seat they really begin to lose the Blue Dog Democrats.”
The Blue Dog Democrat Coalition is a group of Democratic members of Congress who consider themselves more fiscally and socially conservative than many of their colleagues within the Democratic Party.
Rouzer said the Blue Dog was becoming “a rarer and rarer breed.”
While the Blue Dog coalition once enjoyed a healthy presence in North Carolina, GOP officials have set their sights on Blue Dogs’ districts this election cycle. In addition to McIntyre’s race, groups like the National Republican Congressional Committee have taken aim at Rep. Larry Kissell, an 8th District Democrat.
Heath Shuler, perhaps one of the country’s most well-known Blue Dogs, is not seeking re-election to Congress, meaning the Nov. 6 election could determine if Blue Dogs in North Carolina become extinct.
But for McIntyre, who continues to tout his conservative principals as well as endorsements, the Blue Dog is long from dead—the same goes for McIntyre.
“My starting and ending point has always been how does this affect the people that I was elected to represent back home in eastern North Carolina?”
It’s not a matter of rhetoric. It’s a question of effectiveness, McIntyre said. Effectiveness for McIntyre is “not being a bean counter of how many bills you may have sponsored, the question is are you being effective?”
In addition to “evidence that surrounds us in the 7th District,” McIntyre said his effectiveness as a legislator could be assessed by “looking objectively at the legislative record of accomplishments as independently judged by the national groups that scrutinized those votes and measure your legislative effectiveness.”
Jobs and the economy
Rouzer said the Nov. 6 election was focused on two things—jobs and the economy.
“The first thing people want is they want this economy to turn around and get moving again. They want jobs. The local needs and the national economic outlook are certainly coupled from that perspective,” Rouzer said.
Folks in southeastern North Carolina are “just as equally concerned with the $16 trillion national debt,” Rouzer said. From a local perspective, Rouzer’s trump card is “McIntyre’s first vote was to vote for Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House.”
“He has no choice but to vote that way,” Rouzer said, adding he would vote for current House Speaker John Boehner given the Republican Party maintains the majority position in Congress.
“I don’t have to compromise my votes and I certainly don’t have to report to Nancy Pelosi,” Rouzer said.
Rouzer described McIntyre as “an economic liberal.”
“When it comes to more spending, he’s all for it. When it comes to voting for Pelosi, he’s all for it. He votes right with [Democratic leadership] most every step of the way. He voted for the failed stimulus package…All those votes are in lockstep with Nancy Pelosi and others in his party” Rouzer said.
McIntyre denied flip-flopping, saying claims he says one thing at home and votes another way in Washington, D.C., were untrue.
“These groups don’t give a flip about any of the rhetoric back home, they look solely at your effectiveness,” McIntyre said.
Part two of this story will feature more issues-based discussion with the candidates, including a focus on coastal issues such as inlet dredging and beach renourishment. To reach Caroline Curran, call (910) 772-6336 or email caroline.c@hometownwilmington.com.
