Conservative vs Progressive: NC 13th District in National Spotlight

GREENSBORO – Another one of the three congressional races in North Carolina that is receiving attention both within and outside of the Old North State is the 13th congressional district race between one-term incumbent Republican Ted Budd and Greensboro attorney, fundraiser Kathy Manning. The race is, in many ways, a microcosm for the national battle between two political cultures.

Budd, owner of a gun store and shooting range, came out on top in a huge primary field during the last cycle and then went on to steam roll over his Democratic opponent. His conservative talk during the campaign turned out to be a lot more than mere rhetoric – he has followed through with one of the most conservative voting records in the House. He’s a member of the House Freedom Caucus, backing up fellow North Carolina Congressman and Freedom Caucus leader Mark Meadows.

Manning is a Democrat’s Democrat, an attorney that fundraises for the arts, has donated to Democrats for two decades, and has focused her campaign on healthcare policy, raging against the ‘unfair’ costs associated with medical care. She is a woman, too, of course.

That makes this race a pretty good proxy for national trends in the parties political bases and how they may manifest on election amid the #metoo movement, Kavanaugh spectacle, the Trump agenda, and Democrat desperation.

Currently the Real Clear Politics average of polls puts Budd on top by six points, and labeled a toss up by many polling outfits.

This is one of those seats that Democrats are eyeing as part of their anticipated Blue Wave. They think that Budd’s conservative nature make him vulnerable, when the truth is that his adherence to conservative principles during his first term in office have likely solidified his support from the Republican base. Democrats think Manning is appealing, in part, because of her gender, but the whole country has witnessed the Left overplaying their hand with the #metoo narrative and push back against the notion that all women should vote a particular way.

Manning offers a Tax & Spend mindset typical of Democrats, while leaning hard on exploiting the gender pay gap myth, and Big Government solutions for healthcare that will protect abortion and make worse what Obamacare has already sullied. Her campaign assumes that women should all vote Democrat because they are women; a massive insult to North Carolina women with conservative values.

Budd would continue to stand up for the principles enshrined in our constitution, like the 2nd Amendment, and has proven to vote for freer markets, less government-sponsored theft, and will resist the political insiders that Manning has been donating money to all these years.

If there is a race in North Carolina in which conservatives have the opportunity to push back against the cheap identity politics and Leftist policies of the Democratic Party, it is this one. A victory for Budd in November will firmly establish that conservative principles win out over Big Government solutions. It will show that women are not, nor should they be regarded as, a unitary voting bloc that think they need government caregivers to run their lives.

If Manning wins, Democrats will suggest it represents a huge turn against misogynistic Republicans. When they lose they will act as if it means nothing at all.

Let’s make sure your friend and family in the 13th district help Manning go back to raising money for the arts, and Budd heads back to Capitol Hill to ensure conservative voices are loud in the Swamp.