2023-12-14 16:11:35
Congressional hopeful Bo Hines may be suffering from a case of unrequited love following first being acknowledged by former President Donald Trump, and then snubbed by him just days later.
Hines, who lost a 2022 congressional bid to U.S. Rep. Wiley Nickel in the 13th district, was hoping to find a friendlier environment in the newly redrawn 6th district.
Hines, a former college football player, had Trump’s endorsement in his first congressional contest. And four days ago, Hines shared on Instagram a video clip from Saturday’s New York Young Republican Club annual gala in which Trump tells the attendees:
“Bo Hines is here…he’s going to be a Congressman very shortly…Bo Hines, thank you!”
Hines endorses Trump (Hines Instagram account)
Earlier in the week, Hines had offered his own endorsement to Trump’s presidential campaign.
And Hines fervently hoped this political nod from Trump would give him an edge in the Republican primary in March.
Former Congressman Mark Walker, Christian Castelli, and Mary Ann Contogiannis are also vying for that congressional seat.
Democratic incumbent Kathy Manning has made clear that she will not be seeking re-election in the 6th because of egregious political gerrymandering.
But by Wednesday followingnoon, Addison McDowell emerged with a full-throated endorsement by Trump in 6th district.
Addison who?
McDowell, a registered lobbyist for Blue Cross Blue Shield, has no bio or policy platform on his website as of this writing, simply a banner declaring that he is “the Trump Endorsed candidate.”
In one of his first tweets on social media, McDowell shares that he will fight to secure our border and “protect the lives of the unborn.”
Trump endorses Addison McDowell for the 6th district over Bo Hines
Hines is not the first Republican to have the support of Trump and then lose it.
In 2019, Trump indicated he would support Mark Walker in a 2022 Senate contest for the seat being vacated by then U.S. Senator Richard Burr.
By 2021, however, Trump had endorsed Rep. Ted Budd for the Senate seat, dashing Walker’s chances for higher office.
Walker, like Hines, is running for the sixth congressional district seat.
This week, Trump also offered his endorsement of Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson in his bid to become North Carolina’s next governor.
Trump said Robinson was ‘better than Dr. Martin Luther King’ at a high-priced fundraiser at his Mar-A-Lago club in Florida.
Video of the event was shared on Facebook.
Gubernatorial candidate and current state Treasurer Dale Folwell offered his own anti-endorsement of Robinson on X/Twitter:
“Looking at his [Trump’s] remarks, he seems unaware that he’s endorsing a lawless, AWOL individual who denies the Holocaust, hates women and continues to fleece the taxpayers and donors of North Carolina,” said Folwell on social media.
As of Wednesday followingnoon, neither Robinson nor McDowell had filed their campaign paperwork with the North Carolina State Board of Elections. They have until noon on Friday before the candidate filing period for 2024 closes.
“Ballot bites” is a recurring feature by NC Newsline that will appear periodically throughout the 2024 elections.
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