NC-02: We recommend ….
It’s time to vote on our US House representation this coming Tuesday. There are a lot of big decisions to be made. And we’re here for you. Ready to help.
In the re-formatted Second Congressional District, Republicans have three choices — Greg Brannon, Renee Ellmers and George Holding. It’s a predominantly GOP district, so the winner of the primary looks to get a two year stay in DC.
Let’s start with Renee Ellmers. Anyone who has been reading this site for any time at all knows we find her completely unacceptable. She has strayed so far from what she was when elected in 2010. Renee enjoys DC waaaaaaaay too much. She needs to be out of government.
George Holding is a pretty decent guy with a respectable voting record. He’s easy to like personally. All of the conservative ranking services find him at the top, or near the top of the North Carolina delegation. That’s not saying there isn’t room to improve. We wish he’d get some fire in his belly and be a lot less laid-back. More Walter Jones, and less Rip Van Winkle. I heard complaints from lawmen who dealt with him as US attorney that he was way too low-key, passive, and almost lethargic. Many wished he would have been more aggressive — fought harder. I hear a lot of the same frustrations from conservatives who have watched him in Congress so far.
Greg Brannon is on the opposite end of the energy scale from Holding. He’s on a constant caffeine high. I have no doubt about his commitment to conservative principles. I do question some of his decision making. He has stuck with the same advisory team that has led him through two straight US Senate defeats. In his first House race, he’s stuck with the same strategy that drove him to those two Senate defeats. Folks have tried to tell him.
I knew about th
e court case regarding misleading of investors. We’ve written about it extensively since 2014. Brannon lost an appeal of that decision earlier this year, but pledges to fight on. I learned — during the WRAL debate — that he also has a $175,000 debt to the IRS to pay off. Two legal ordeals, plus a medical practice, and a large family to provide for — and you want to add a term in Congress on top of that?
Brannon has a lot of promise as a leader in the conservative movement. But I honestly think he needs to get his personal life in order first. It would be hard for him to effectively serve the district with those two legal matters going on.
We understand that current polling has Holding in first, Brannon in second, and Ellmers in third. The Holding camp seems to reinforce that belief with their most recent TV ad reminding people about Brannon’s legal woes.
The idea here is to get Renee Ellmers out and replace her with someone more conservative. Brannon AND Holding fit that bill. But Holding has the resources and the momentum, and Brannon has two serious liabilities hanging over him.
We think George Holding is the best shot to send Renee Ellmers packing. Therefore, we’re recommending a vote for George Holding on Tuesday.
I know this does not disqualify him but Holding does not even live in his district. That seems like a Big problem when you don’t even live part time with the people you are supposed to represent. You can thank the State GOP for that.
He lives a couple miles just outside the redrawn district. Renee lives just a couple miles inside the redrawn district. George would actually live closer to most of the constituents than she would, most likely. By your logic we should just pick whomever lives at the most central point of the district, equidistant to all constituents. Good values out ranks good location to me.
My logic has nothing to do with a central location just proximity to constituents. By your logic we could have someone in California represent the NC Second District.
Better Ellmers than this guy. Sure she’s the worst of the bunch but SHE can be gotten rid of 2018 because everyone knows what she’s about. He does a far better masquerade of a conservative and it will be impossible to get rid of him once he wins this race. In one respect he’s just like Ellmers…the status quo in DC suits him just fine. You referred to him as almost lethargic.That’s a good description of his constituent service as well. He’s been non-existent on veterans needs and there were an awful lot of them in the old 13th and even more in the new 2nd……I don’t know why anyone would wish this guy on veterans.
Holding is marginally better than Renee. He is typically more liberal in his first year than his second. Has anyone asked about his cromnibus vote that funded Obama Care and executive amnesty.? George is not a good steward of the tax payers money although he claims to be. Fortunately, he is better than Renee, but that’s not saying much.
One more thing why isn’t Holding a member of the house freedom caucus?
Because he supports call like Common Core. They don’t want him and his squishy ways.
Being in that group might pit him against the leadership and that would jeopardize his prized Ways and Means committee seat.
Yes! Good pick!
I kind of like that Brannon is loyal to his team. For all his faults, there aren’t many like Greg Brannon in this country. I think he is a national resource.
Also, I consider the question above important as well. Why isn’t holding in the Freedom Caucus? We need more people holding the line against the corrupt system. I see Brannon doing a much better job in that regard,
Brannon had the has been in the trenches taking on incredible odds for four years now. He TOOK ON A SITTING SENATOR OF HIS OWN PARTY! He’s never won or held elective office, yet earned multitudes of admirers for his mastery of history and the US Constitution.
He deserves our support! What are we sunshine soldiers! We have to pick the likely winner! Good thing the Founding Fathers didn’t think like this! Or we would still be British!
That’s why I urge you to disregard this endorsement for Holding and go with Brannon instead.
A lot of conservatives have become “settlers”. 😉
If we had a good poll, it would guide some tactical voting. If Brannon is positioned where he has a chance to win, conservatives should be voting for him. If he is clearly out of it and the other two are close, then there is an argument for voting for Holding. Based on what we know of polls, with Ellmers apparently running third, there is a good case for voting for Brannon, as the candidate who would vote best in Congress, particularly considering that Ellmers does not appear to be a threat to take the seat. Holding moving his fire to Brannon seems to indicate that it has now become a Holding / Brannon race, and in that case, Brannon is clearly the best.
ATTENTION NC-2:
Dr. Brannon had the has been in the trenches taking on incredible odds for several years now. He TOOK ON A SITTING SENATOR OF HIS OWN PARTY! He has never won or held elective office, yet has earned multitudes of admirers around the state and nation for his mastery of history and the US Constitution.
And why hasn’t George Holding joined the House Freedom Caucus? Is it because he is compromised as a member of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, which is surely to earn him some big and powerful donors…the kind of donors that corrupt people and the system…the kind of donors some now tout as providing Holding with the superior resources to win, as opposed to those less substantial resources of Brannon.
Regarding his team: I kind of like that Brannon is loyal to his team. For all his faults, after all we all have them, the Greg Brannons of the World are in too short of short supply.
I THINK HE IS A NATIONAL TREASURE.
If you ever did support him for his commitment to liberty, his exceptional expertise, energy and willingness to fight, HE DESERVES OUR CONTINUED SUPPORT!
What are we, sunshine soldiers!?! What do we have to do, back the likely winner! Good thing the Founding Fathers didn’t think like this! Because they didn’t stand a chance!
That’s why I urge you to stand strong and vote for Greg Brannon on Tuesday June 7!
Ryan Duffie
It’s telling that Brant did not mention how Holding has funded Obama’s amnesty and Planned Parenthood. Holding is a fraud who hides from his constituents and refuses to answer real questions. At a candidates forum held by the Raleigh Republican club Holding and Renee refuse to attend – both sent surrogates. Holding’s surrogate then refused to take questions after he read a written statement. Holding is part of the problem in DC, he’s clearly not part of the solution. That’s why he’s running negative ads against Brannon. He can’t run on his record.
Have to agree with the DH on this one. The Quiet Man would have to get my vote.
Conservative Review scores Ellmers – F and Holding – C
Donald Trump’s sickening endorsement of this obnoxious liberal Renee Ellmers makes me question whether I could vote for Trump in November. Trump has a long history of supporting liberal Democrats and of supporting establishment Republicans in primaries against conservatives. Trump heavily funded the extremely obnoxious Obama enabler Mitch McConnell in his Senate primary with conservative Marr Bevin.
If Renee Ellmers is the kind of ”Republican” Trump is going to embrace, then Trump can get stuffed!
There is nobody in this race who has so thoroughly sold out their constituents and been as brazen and ‘in your face’ about it as Ellmers.
Can anybody tell me when Holding called his constituents “dense,” “ignorant” and “racist?”