She’s Running: Renee Ellmers is Now ‘for NC’

RALEIGH – In the shootout that is developing for some open political seats int he Old North State, rumors emerged that former Congresswoman Renee Ellmers was considering,or being encouraged to run for lieutenant governor. Not much more than those rumors has surfaced until now.

Ellmers just changed her Facebook page from her 2014 congressional run from “Renee Ellmers for Congress” to “Renee Ellmers for North Carolina”

That seems like a pretty strong indication of political ambitions for a statewide office, thus confirming the rumors that she was interested in the open seat lieutenant governor.

Ellmers rose to political prominence in the early days of the Tea Party movement, hosting ‘Hands Off My Healthcare’ rallies, and eventually running and winning a congressional election to represent the 2nd Congressional District.

From there, though, things went south. Instead of the champion for liberty and free market healthcare that she billed herself as on the campaign trail, Ellmers almost immediately cozied up to the Establishment House leadership to frolic in the Swamp.

That wasn’t the only thing she was rumored to be cozying up to, either, as rumors of an untoward relationship with then-House Majority Whip Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) flew. Actually, it was the ever-principled Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC) that pointed to these rumors as reason to not support McCarthy’s aspirations to run for higher leadership positions.

Ellmers would eventually lose re-election and fall into the background with a reputation of a political climber that sold out the conservative base that launched her into office.

However, all is lost in time and space, as political philosopher David Hume put it. Ellmers seems to think enough time has passed for her to make a political return, this time for a statewide office of little consequence, except for it’s utility as a platform for higher political offices of more consequence.

With the passage of a little more time it should become clear that Ellmers is carving out a space in the already large field for lieutenant governor in 2020.