North Carolina GOP legislator Paré running for Democrat-controlled US House seat

HOLLY SPRINGS, N.C. (AP) — The only elected Republican legislator from North Carolina’s largest county is running for a congressional seat currently held by a first-term Democrat who narrowly won in 2022.

Rep. Erin Paré of Wake County announced her plans on Wednesday to seek to represent what is now the 13th Congressional District, which includes portions of Raleigh and fast-growing communities to the south and east.

Republicans in charge of the General Assembly plan this fall to redraw congressional districts in light of court decisions for the 2024 elections.

New lines favoring the GOP could make it more challenging for current 13th District Democratic Rep. Wiley Nickel to win reelection next year. Nickel defeated his 2022 Republican opponent by 3 percentage points.

In her video campaign announcement, which includes images from protests and riots, Paré says she is “everything the far left fears the most” and calls herself a “conservative wife, mother and business owner.” A news release said Paré was putting $400,000 of her own money into the campaign as it begins.

Paré is a second-term House member who this year helped shepherd legislation that further restricted abortion and was a primary sponsor of a bill that banned transgender girls from playing on girls’ sports teams in school. Both bills are now law.

Nickel is preparing to run for reelection. Two other Republican candidates — Josh McConkey of Apex and Matt Shoemaker of Clayton — also have filed paperwork to run for the 13th District seat, WRAL-TV reported.

North Carolina’s 14-member congressional delegation is currently split evenly between Democrats and Republicans.