(The Center Square) – North Carolina’s first 24 hours of filing for the 2024 election cycle is becoming more known for who is not than is, according to published reports.
U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-North Carolina, said he will not seek reelection. For three weeks in October following the ouster of Speaker Kevin McCarthy, McHenry led the chamber in the interim.
During that time, he said he was focused on getting the next speaker and did not want the position himself. Rep. Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, was elected speaker by his colleagues Oct. 25.
“I will be retiring from Congress at the end of my current term,” McHenry said. “This is not a decision I came to lightly, but I believe there is a season for everything and – for me – this season has come to an end. I look forward to what the next season brings for my family and me.”
The filing period opened Monday at noon across the state, where 14 seats in Congress will be on the ballot along with all 10 Council of State offices and the 170 seats of the state General Assembly. Hours before it started, Sen. Joyce Krawiec, R-Forsyth, was the first notable lawmaker saying no to reelection.
Republican Pat Harrigan’s choice to now run in the 10th District – where McHenry would have – opens the door for North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore to be unchallenged in the Super Tuesday primary if he announces a run in the 14th District. Through Monday, Harrigan had been campaigning in the 14th.
McHenry, known in part for his dapper attire inclusive of bow ties, is expected to finish his term. The 48-year-old is chairman of the Financial Services Committee, a panel he has had a seat on since election in November 2004 at the age of 29.
His rise through the ranks included 2015 selection as the chief deputy whip to Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-Louisiana. He has never voted for a tax increase.
“There has been a great deal of handwringing and ink spilled about the future of this institution because some – like me – have decided to leave,” McHenry said. “Those concerns are exaggerated. I’ve seen a lot of change over twenty years. I truly feel this institution is on the verge of the next great turn. Whether it’s 1974, 1994, or 2010, we’ve seen the House evolve over time. Evolutions are often lumpy and disjointed, but at each stage, new leaders emerge. There are many smart and capable members who remain, and others are on their way. I’m confident the House is in good hands.”
McHenry has been serving an area from the suburbs of Charlotte on Lake Norman to Pisgah National Forest in Burke County.
Krawiec’s decision not to run is notable because of her ties to Medicaid expansion, an issue her party long fought. The decision was reached in March, provided a state budget was enacted, and that happened in September. The official expansion was Friday.
Krawiec, who said she will finish her term, was also a significant part of Republicans’ push in 2018 to implement voter ID. A ballot referendum easily passed, with 55.5% of more than 3.6 million voters saying yes.
Another notable state lawmaker not running will be Rep. Rosa Gill, D-Wake. She filled a vacancy in 2009 and has been reelected each term since. She told a local radio station, “I’ve served long enough.”
