Ideology and race could shape primaries in newly blue NC districts
Democrats are almost guaranteed to pick up two House seats in North Carolina this year, which means that the upcoming primaries — for which early in-person voting starts today — will go a long way toward determining who comes to Congress.
In both the newly redrawn 2nd District, which is based in Raleigh, and the redrawn 6th District, which is rooted in Greensboro, Democrats have a good chance of nominating women with strong liberal backing. But the primaries in each district have raised questions about identity politics and ideology and who should represent what are now safe Democratic seats.
In both of those districts, white women who have run recent races in competitive territory have a strong financial advantage over African American female candidates who support Medicare for All. And while money isn’t everything, especially where candidates have local connections, that’s given them a leg up in communicating their message on a tight timeline. The district maps were set in December, and the primary is on March 3.
In the 2nd District, for example, Deborah Ross, a former state representative and state director for the American Civil Liberties Union, ran for Senate in 2016. She faces three other Democrats, including Wake County School Board Member Monika Johnson-Hostler, who received the backing of the Congressional Black Caucus PAC on Wednesday.
https://www.rollcall.com/2020/02/13/ideology-and-race-could-shape-primaries-in-newly-blue-nc-districts/
