RALEIGH — Wake County Republican Rep. Erin Paré has reconsidered running for Congress in 2024 and will instead seek reelection to her current seat at the General Assembly.
“Earlier this year, I announced my intention to run for Congress in NC-13. I’ve been humbled by the excitement and support around my candidacy,” Paré wrote in a post on X. “However, after much consideration, Wayne and I have decided that it is not the right time to run for Congress. I will instead seek reelection to my current seat in the North Carolina House in 2024.”
Paré, who had raised around $600,000 by mid-October, cited new leadership options at the legislature and wanting to be around to see her kids finish high school as reasons for the shift.
“I am excited by new leadership opportunities in the General Assembly and being home for the next few years while my kids finish high school. I love my job representing the people of southern Wake in the House and feel there is much more yet to accomplish,” wrote Paré. “For these reasons, now is not the right time to make the personal financial investment needed for the NC-13 congressional primary. Instead, I look forward to continuing to win conservative victories for all North Carolinians as a member of the General Assembly.”
In Paré’s Aug. 30 announcement of her bid for Congress she included a video touting her records as a “conservative leader willing to stand up to the woke mob on behalf of conservatives in this region. I’ll do the same in Washington.”
The 13th Congressional district seat is currently held by freshman Democrat Wiley Nickel. Last month, Nickel wouldn’t say if he was running again and would announce only after the “courts have spoken.”
Nickel won the seat in 2022 over Republican Bo Hines by 8,834 votes or 3.18% of the votes cast.
New maps drawn for the state’s congressional districts may impact Nickel’s apparent reelection bid since the new district now has a Republican lean. The new district covers small portions of Wake County as well as Lee, Harnett, Johnston, Franklin, Granville, Person, and Caswell.
Republicans who have announced a run or have expressed interest in running for the NC-13 seat include DeVan Barbour, Kelly Daughtry, Brad Knott, Josh McConkey, Matt Shoemaker, Fred Von Canon, and Kenny Xu.
