NC-09: Special Election Republican Primary Gets Heated

CHARLOTTE – One of the two special congressional elections happening in North Carolina is beginning to get heated, with the former Republican congressman for the 9th District, Robert Pittenger, allegedly defaming conservative primary contender and state senator Dan Bishop.

Pittenger, who lost his 2018 primary to embattled Republican Mark Harris, rattled off some malicious, and untrue, statements about Sen. Dan Bishop in an email. Bishop, an attorney, did not take it lightly, responding that he would sue Pittenger if he did not immediately retract his statements.

Robert Pittenger defamed me today. He will retract his false statements or be sued. #ncpol pic.twitter.com/SFPuuoYv7Z

— Sen. Dan Bishop (@jdanbishop) March 19, 2019

So did Pittenger double down, or equivocate, in response? Nope. Apparently, Pittenger was aware enough of the untruthfulness of his own statements, that the retraction came quickly once he was outed.

BREAKING: Robert Pittenger retracts his statements about @jdanbishop #NC09 #ncpol @wsoctv pic.twitter.com/WJ7ZnWjkXn

— Joe Bruno (@JoeBrunoWSOC9) March 20, 2019

It seems that Pittenger is still not over the soreness from losing to Mark Harris in the 2018 primary. The contrast between he and Bishop is pretty stark. Pittenger was one of the most liberal of the Republican Congressional Delegation from the Old North State, while Bishop is the lone Republican left standing in the Mecklenburg-Metro contingent of state lawmakers precisely because he is the most consistent conservative of the bunch.

If this exchange is any indication, get your popcorn ready, because the 9th District Special Election is sure to be a show.