Former state Rep. Chris Malone is now eyeing a run for North Carolina Secretary of State in 2020, according to a source close to the candidate.
The Wake Forest Republican was swept out of office in last year’s blue wave, which claimed nearly every GOP member of the General Assembly in Wake and Mecklenburg counties.
Malone did not respond to a request for confirmation or comment.
Malone’s day job is as a case manager for G4S Compliance and Investigations, but he’s also had a long career in politics. He was first elected to the Wake Forest Town Board of Commissioners in 2001 before later joining the Wake County school board and ultimately winning a seat in the N.C. House in 2012.
Should Malone choose to run for Secretary of State, he’ll join a fairly strong Republican field in the primary.
The Republican nominee in 2016, Michael LaPaglia, will run again in 2020 and has greatly increased his fundraising goals for this campaign. He says he will be bringing in former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio for a fundraiser later this year.
Gaston County Commissioner Chad Brown is also in the race.
Should Malone run and make it through the Republican primary, he’ll almost certainly face incumbent Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, who will be seeking her seventh term in office. In 2016, the 73-year-old earned the highest vote percentage of any statewide Democrat candidate.
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