WASHINGTON _ President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence are visiting North Carolina on Wednesday _ the kickoff to what could be a nonstop parade of presidential candidates and their surrogates making their way to the Tar Heel State before the 2020 primaries and general election.
Trump rallied supporters at a Keep America Great event at East Carolina University in Greenville, and Pence will join him after spending the day at Fort Bragg. Sen. Thom Tillis, Rep. Mark Meadows and two Republican nominees in special elections for the U.S. House _ state Sen. Dan Bishop (9th district) and state Rep. Greg Murphy (3rd district) _ are among the local politicians expected to attend. Meanwhile, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos will be in Raleigh on Wednesday.
The big-name event is one indication of how important the state _ and its 15 electoral votes _ are to Trump's reelection bid.
