After the mud settled on the 2022 midterm primaries, one of many noteworthy victories was of Army Special Forces veteran Pat Harrigan within the 14th Congressional District. And with a better-than-usual yr for Republicans, this Democrat-leaning district could also be coming into play.
“2022 is shaping as much as be a red-wave election, with the generic congressional poll favoring Republicans by 10%,” mentioned Andy Jackson, who serves as director of the John Locke Basis’s Civitas Heart for Public Integrity. “There are three Democratic-leaning districts the place Republicans may take benefit: the first, the sixth, and the 14th.”
And there are indicators that the NCGOP could also be beginning to see the 14th as a doubtlessly winnable seat. Through the annual NC Republican Conference in Greensboro, the get together highlighted Harrigan along-side two different key congressional races.
“Ted Budd will quickly be there to take again the bulk within the Senate, together with Bo Hines and Pat Harrigan who’re serving to take away Pelosi’s gavel within the US Home!” the NCGOP mentioned in a Fb submit through the conference.
Additionally, immediately after his Could 17 win, the NCGOP mentioned, “Congratulations Pat Harrigan, winner of North Carolina’s 14th Congressional District Republican Main! Fighters like Pat are important to restoring management that protects our values and promotes prosperity throughout NC and the nation!”
Harrigan spoke to Carolina Journal at his victory get together about his background, why he determined to run, and his upcoming race towards well-known Democrat state Sen. Jeff Jackson. And he’s bullish on his possibilities.
“I’m a enterprise proprietor; I have a look at investments when it comes to cash and when it comes to time,” Harrigan mentioned. “I might not be losing my money and time if I didn’t suppose this race was completely winnable.”
He mentioned that it’s “very clear that whereas this district had an issue with our former president, it didn’t have an issue with Republicans down the ticket.” Harrigan added that these saying that “this district isn’t winnable will not be doing the onerous work that must be performed to determine what the actual coronary heart and soul of this district really is and the course that the parents on this district wish to go.”
Harrigan mentioned he and his spouse Rocky got here to North Carolina in 2013 and reside in south Charlotte. A graduate of the U.S. Army Academy at West Level, he was stationed at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville upon being chosen for the Special Forces of the U.S Army, the Inexperienced Berets. He served till 2018.
“I’ve had an fascinating life. At 34 years of age, I’ve skilled extra and have had the privilege of getting very dynamic experiences from a really younger age. At 23 years outdated I used to be accountable for a small air entry solely fight outpost in the midst of Afghanistan. When all my friends had been accountable for 40 individuals, I used to be working 350 individuals on the market. Once I joined the particular forces and took a staff again to Afghanistan, I used to be in some horrific fireplace fights that actually cast me and my character and what I imagine in.
“After coming again residence, my spouse and I began a enterprise in our double-wide trailer out west of Fayetteville. And we’ve grown that in six brief years to a 120,000 sq. ft. facility on 80 acres with 65 or so workers. I’ve a set of {qualifications} that many don’t have, and I can lean towards my expertise as a result of I do know what it means to signal the entrance of a pay test, I do know what it means to go to conflict, I do know what it means to boost two lovely little daughters, and to be a husband for 12 years and counting. I do know the stakes of life and I can discern reality in addition to the subsequent man. Due to these experiences, I do know what’s at stake on this election and I can funnel all of them into being a productive consultant for the parents of the 14th district.”
Harrigan’s enterprise experience is within the firearms business. He owns and operates a number of firms, resembling ZRODelta, UnBrandedAR, and US Optics. The companies are in Burke County as a result of they contain explosives that want a extra rural atmosphere.
When requested why he feels Gaston and south Mecklenburg counties ought to ship a Republican to characterize them in D.C., Harrigan mentioned it comes right down to a easy query: Are you higher off now than you had been two years in the past?
“I feel the resounding reply isn’t any, they’re not. We’ve traded 2-dollar fuel for 4-dollar fuel, $2.25 milk for $3.85 milk. We’re Google looking easy methods to make child formulation nowadays. That’s not the America that I do know. The America I do know doesn’t power Individuals to decide on between fuel and groceries on a Thursday afternoon, and that’s the place we’ve gotten to right now, not to mention the truth that we now have an unsecured southern border that poses a number of threats to the security and safety of our homeland.”
However North Carolina state Sen. Jeff Jackson, who will face Harrigan in November, clearly disagrees {that a} Republican would finest serve the district. And along with the Democratic leaning of the district, Jackson has a big cash and name-identification benefit. He has additionally garnered a big following on social media over this time. Jackson has served within the North Carolina Senate, representing District 37, since 2014. He was previously a candidate for america Senate in North Carolina in 2021 earlier than dropping out of the race.
“He has voted very far left, and he’s tremendously proficient at packaging what he does and distilling it down so it doesn’t seem to be it’s socialism,” Harrigan mentioned on his opponent’s voting report. “He talks to you just like the neighbor subsequent door, saying I’ve bought your finest curiosity at coronary heart, however in actuality, whenever you strip away all the easy phrases, what you discover is that his options all the time transfer towards huge authorities, extra authorities spending, and authorities is the answer, not the issue. His voting displays that.”
If elected in November, Harrigan mentioned he’ll look to position the economic system on the high of his legislative priorities.
“Now we have to cease inflation now,” he mentioned. “That is hurting American households and we’re on the precipice of setting a complete era behind and leaving a ton of oldsters in debt. This has to cease now. Our financial circumstances have to enhance and we have to do this by returning to time-tested rules which have made this nation nice and profitable.”
Jackson has a big benefit in cash-on-hand as of late April, with $857,000 to Harrigan’s $101,000, however Harrigan doesn’t imagine that is an impediment for his personal marketing campaign.
“Jeff ran state-wide for a yr,” he mentioned. “It’s not an insurmountable sum of money and is nothing our staff is afraid of. We actually imagine that with the suitable candidate, the suitable locomotive behind that candidate, and the suitable timing, that this district is 100% winnable. We imagine we now have all of these components intersecting at this cut-off date.”
