Politics & Government

Congressman's Death Triggers Election, Glut Of Candidates

By Associated Press,

Published April 22, 2019 at 3:42 PM EDT

In this Oct. 25, 2017, file photo, U.S. Rep. Walter Jones Jr., R-N.C. poses for a portrait in his office on Capitol Hill, in Washington. He died in February at 76. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

A special primary election to fill an eastern North Carolina congressional seat is set for next week. A crowded field of candidates will be on the ballot April 30.

U.S. Rep. Walter Jones Jr.'s North Carolina congressional seat was expected to be up for grabs soon, but it happened more quickly than most people anticipated.

Months after the Republican announced his 2018 campaign would be his last, Jones' health faded. He died in February at 76.

Jones' death drew people from a broad political spectrum to praise his commitment to his constituents, his faith and his willingness to buck party leadership, such as when he opposed the Iraq War.

It also drew over two dozen candidates from four parties into an off-year special election to replace him in the GOP-leaning 3rd Congressional District.

With 17 Republican and six Democratic candidates, one or two runoffs could be required in July before a September general election.

Another unresolved race is the 9th Congressional district. State officials set a new election for September after the results were thrown out over concerns of ballot tampering. Parties will hold their primaries on May 14.

*Follow WFDD's Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib_news

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Keri Brown

Keri Brown is a multi-award winning reporter and host at 88.5 WFDD. She has been honored with two regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her stories about coal ash, and was named the 2015 radio reporter of the year by the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas (RTDNAC).Although she covers a variety of topics, her beats are environmental and education reporting.Keri comes to the Triad from West Virginia Public Broadcasting, where she served as the Chief Bureau Reporter for the Northern Panhandle. She produced stories for the state's Public Television and Radio programs and was honored by the West Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Association for her feature and enterprise reporting.She also served as an adjunct instructor at Wheeling Jesuit University and Bethany College in West Virginia. She worked with the Center for Educational Technologies in Wheeling, WV, and other NASA centers across the country to develop several stories about the use of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts in the classroom.Keri's journalism career began at WTRF-TV 7 in Wheeling. She worked in several roles at the station, including the head assignment editor. She also was a field producer and assignment manager at WPGH-TV Fox 53 in Pittsburgh.Keri is a graduate of Ohio University. When she's not in the studio or working on a story, she enjoys watching college football with her family, cooking, and traveling.Keri is always looking for another great story idea, so please share them with her. You can follow her on Twitter @kerib_news.

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Congressman's Death Triggers Election, Glut Of Candidates

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