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topicnews · August 28, 2024

Democrat wants debate for the western constituency of the US House of Representatives of North Carolina; GOP representative busy

Democrat wants debate for the western constituency of the US House of Representatives of North Carolina; GOP representative busy

ASHEVILLE – Republican Congressman Chuck Edwards’ campaign staff have said that due to his legislative duties, there may not be a debate with Democratic challenger Caleb Rudow ahead of the Nov. 5 election for western North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District.

Rudow, a North Carolina state representative from Asheville, has called for a debate with Edwards of Henderson County, who represents the state’s westernmost district, which is considered firmly in Republican hands.

“Caleb is ready and eager to debate, and he believes the people of the NC-11 district deserve the opportunity to attend a debate,” campaign spokeswoman Dana Stephenson told the Citizen Times on August 26.

But Edwards’ campaign spokeswoman Audrey Woodard said the congressman “is focused on his legislative duties, which take up much of his time.”

“As you know, he sits on four key committees in the House of Representatives, giving WNC voters an unprecedented voice in Washington, and he considers this a priority,” Woodard told the Citizen Times on August 28.

Like many Republicans, Edwards has made the border a top issue in his campaign. Reducing the budget deficit and allowing greater fossil fuel production in the United States are also important issues.

Rudow said he wants to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, provide universal health insurance and ensure the U.S. achieves net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

While Congress was not in session, Edwards spoke at Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Asheville on August 14. The House and Senate will officially resume their work on September 9. Unusually for a member in his first term, Edwards was assigned four subcommittees for budget matters: Financial Services and General Administration; Interior and Environment; Labor, Health and Human Services; Education; and State and Foreign Operations. The Budget Committee is considered one of the most influential committees in the House of Representatives.

Rudow’s spokeswoman Dana Stephenson said the campaign has contacted several media organizations to schedule a debate. Blue Ridge Public Radio, which hosted the last two 11th District general election debates with Smoky Mountain News, said Rudow’s campaign has contacted them.

BPR senior regional reporter Lilly Knoepp said the broadcaster views debates as part of its public service mandate.

“BPR has reached out to Edwards’ campaign to extend an invitation to a debate. That offer remains,” Knoepp told the Citizen Times.

New maps for North Carolina’s 14 congressional districts were approved by the GOP-majority North Carolina General Assembly in 2023, surviving legal challenges by those who said the districts were unfairly rigged to ensure Republicans win most of the seats. The 11th District, which includes liberal Buncombe County but also 14 more conservative rural counties, is rated 8 points Republican-leaning, according to the Cook Political Report.

In his statement to the Citizen Times, Rudow said the debate should be a high priority.

“While we have a busy campaign schedule, we believe debates are a critical part of the democratic process, so we will make time for them whenever it fits into the congressman’s schedule,” he said.

More: Marijuana has been legal in Western North Carolina for 2 weeks, but a member of the U.S. House of Representatives is still trying to stop it

Joel Burgess has lived in WNC for more than 20 years and covers politics, government and other news. He has written award-winning stories on topics ranging from gerrymandering to police use of force. Have a tip? Contact Burgess at [email protected], 828-713-1095 or on Twitter at @AVLreporter. Please support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

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