RALEIGH — Absentee ballots have begun going out for the second primary in certain North Carolina races, which is set for May 14. Early voting will begin Thursday.
Second primaries are being held for Republican candidates in North Carolina’s 13th Congressional District as well as statewide races for Council of State seats that include lieutenant governor and state auditor.
In the 14-person race for the NC-13 seat, no candidate secured the 30% plus one vote needed to avoid a runoff. Republican Kelly Daughtry was the top vote-getter in the first primary with 27.38%, and second place went to Brad Knott with 18.68%.
“Since the Primary, two major things have happened,” Knott campaign adviser Jonathan Felts said. “Kelly Daughtry, who had already confessed to donating to Cheri Beasley and Josh Stein, was outed as an Obama/Biden supporter and Brad Knott was endorsed by President Donald Trump who also said that Daughtry is ‘no friend to MAGA.’
“It’s hard to break out in a crowded primary but now voters have a clear choice between two very different candidates. Brad Knott is a proven Conservative and Kelly Daughtry is a squishy RINO.”
“On March 5th I was the top vote getter and on May 14th I am confident we will be equally successful,” said Daughtry. “The people in the 13th district want to elect someone who lives in the district, which I do, in contrast to Brad Knott who does not live in the district and cannot vote for himself.
“I stand with President Trump and will, on day one, work with him to secure the border, reduce inflation, and start putting the American people first again.” Daughtry said.
The winner of the May 14 runoff for the NC-13 seat will face Democrat Frank Pierce. Cook Political Report ranked the seat as leaning plus-11 Republican.
North Carolina’s 6th Congressional District would have had a second primary between Trump-endorsed Addison McDowell and former Congressman Mark Walker, however Walker announced after the first primary was held that he was joining the Trump campaign to work with faith groups and minority communities.
Before entering the race for the NC-06 seat, Walker had previously announced a gubernatorial bid. McDowell has no Democratic challenger and will be headed to Congress following the November general election.
In Council of State races, Hal Weatherman will face Jim O’Neill for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor.
Weatherman garnered 19.59% of the vote in the first primary and O’Neill brought in 15.84%.
In an interview with North State Journal, Weatherman said his campaign was pleased with the March 5 primary results and is in a good position by having won 62 counties.
“Our aim is to win. Our resolve is to win,” Weatherman said. “I feel good about our chances because we’re not stopping. We are not taking our foot off the gas. I was the only candidate in the 11-man field that went to all 100 counties. I think we were rewarded for that approach on election night.”
North State Journal reached out to O’Neill multiple times but did not receive a statement by press time.
In the state auditor race, Jack Clark and Dave Boliek were the top two Republican vote-getters with 23.24% and 22.10%, respectively.
“I’m spending my time crisscrossing the state,” Boliek told North State Journal. “I’ve been from one end of the state to the other, from the coast to the mountains, and I have met with primary voters where they live, and the feedback that I’ve gotten on our campaign has been fantastic.”
Boliek said that if he wins on May 14, he looks forward to communicating the message to voters that the state auditor role should be “not only looking after taxpayer dollars but looking for ways to make state government more efficient and more customer friendly.”
“My message to the voters hasn’t changed: I’m the most qualified candidate who filed, and I intend to make North Carolina the best run state in the country,” Clark said in a statement to North State Journal.
The winner will face Democrat Jessica Holmes, who was appointed to the position by Gov. Roy Cooper after State Auditor Beth Wood resigned. Wood’s resignation came after her indictment in a December 2022 hit-and-run accident occurred in downtown Raleigh following a Christmas party while she was driving a state vehicle.
Two other runoffs set for May 14 are local races: in South Point Township District on the Gaston County Board of Commissioners between Jim Bailey and Ronnie Worley (both Republicans), and the third seat on the Orange County Public Schools’ Board of Education between Jennifer Moore and Bonnie Hauser (nonpartisan).
