Brock in, Myers on bubble for new Congressional seat

Published 9:24 am Thursday, February 25, 2016

State Sen. Andrew Brock says he’s in as a candidate for the newly-created 13th U.S. Congressional District.

Judge Jimmy L. Myers said he is seriously considering throwing his hat into the ring, as well.

Both are Republicans.

The new GOP-dominated district includes all of Davie and Davidson counties, almost all of Iredell County and a small portion of Guilford County.

Myers, also a minister and retired military chaplain, would have to resign his position as a district court judge if he runs, said he knows the people in the district and would like to represent them in Congress.

Brock would not have to resign his position in the N.C. Senate. And as the only candidate on the ballot for the March 15 primary, he would still get the nomination. If he also wins the Congressional nomination, he would have to withdraw from one of the races.

Brock told Reporter Josh Bergeron of the Salisbury Post that it would be up to the Republican parties in Davie, Iredell and Rowan counties to pick his state senate replacement.

Brock told reporter Josh Bergeron of The Salisbury Post that he had been interested in a Congressional seat for some time, but was satisfied with the work of Rep. Virginia Foxx, who now represents Davie County.

A seven-term member of the N.C. Senate, he hopes to bring the same “common sense reform” to Washington that he said Republicans have done in Raleigh.

“We’ve been able to make some significant changes in Raleigh – tax reform, regulatory reform and property rights,” he said. “We were working as hard as anybody to turn the state around in the years after the recession.”

At least three state representatives – from Salisbury, Greensboro and Davidson County – said they haven’t ruled out a run for the new Congressional seat.

The new district was created after a federal court ordered that previous maps drawn by state legislators were gerrymandered according to race.

The new district isn’t set in stone yet, and the new maps may have to be re-drawn again after expected challenges.

“It’s almost like I’m counting my lottery winnings before I win the lottery,” he said.