Bo Hines defeated DeVan Barbour IV, Kelly Daughtry, Renee Ellmers, Kent Keirsey, and three other candidates in the primary for North Carolina’s 13th Congressional District on May 17, 2022. Incumbent Rep. Ted Budd (R) ran for the U.S. Senate and did not seek re-election.
Hines, a former college football player for North Carolina State University, interned for Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) and U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.). Hines said there was a need for younger voices in Congress. In his responses to Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey, Hines criticized incumbency and said he would sign a pledge not to serve more than four consecutive terms. “I’m a fresh new voice that will work to refurbish the Republican party,” he wrote. Former President Donald Trump (R), the Club for Growth, and Reps. Matt Gaetz (R), Madison Cawthorn (R), and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R) endorsed Hines.
The boundaries of North Carolina’s 13th Congressional District changed as a result of redistricting, with the new district including all of Johnston County as well as parts of Harnett, Wake, and Wayne counties. According to FiveThirtyEight, the old district map had an R+38 partisan lean, while the new map had an R+3 partisan lean.
WRAL’s Travis Fain said, “The district is one of the most competitive between Republicans and Democrats in North Carolina, based on past election results.” At the time of the primary, three independent election forecasters considered the general election a Toss-up.
Also running in the primary were Jessica Morel, Chad Slotta, and Kevin Alan Wolff.
If no candidate had won more than 30% of the primary vote, a runoff would have been held on July 26.
Hines will face Wiley Nickel (D) in the general election.
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