"My wife was interviewed on three television stations last week about why we had not had children and what was my sexual orientation," Miller recently told delegates to the 13th District Democratic convention at Alamance Community College.

"Ohh my Gawd!" blurted out a woman in the audience.

Welcome to the culture wars of the 13th Congressional District, where Republican Vernon Robinson is trying to unseat Miller, a two-term incumbent from Raleigh.

In a year when Republican congressmen across the country are on the defensive, Robinson promises to turn the tables and make Miller's record and background a focus of the campaign.

"This is probably going to be the most issue-oriented campaign out of 435 races for Congress," Robinson said in an interview.

That is not how Miller sees it. He is bracing for one of the worst mudslinging campaigns in recent North Carolina history.

But, as Robinson notes, Miller is not above unsheathing a political stiletto himself.

The 13th District is North Carolina's newest congressional district, stretching across seven counties from Raleigh, running along the Virginia border, to Greensboro. It is a Democratic-leaning district that Miller, as a state legislator, helped draw. He has won handily both times he has run.

Miller, 53, a lawyer, says he will run on bread-and-butter issues such as addressing the loss of manufacturing jobs, rising health- care costs, rising gas prices, and making it difficult for unscrupulous lenders to victimize the poor.

Robinson, 50, who works for an education foundation that champions charter schools and vouchers, has drawn national attention in conservative circles.

His emphasis on hot-button social issues has enabled him to raise large sums from a national network of donors. Robinson raised $3 million in his 2004 congressional race, coming close to winning the GOP primary.

So far, Robinson has not been able to translate his high profile into winning major political office. He twice lost races for state superintendent of public instruction, a race for Congress, and a contest for state Republican Party chairman. He served eight years on the Winston-Salem City Council. He lost a re-election bid last year.

Immigration issue

Robinson thinks he has a powerful issue which he can ride to Congress -- growing concern about the wave of illegal immigration coming into the state. He wants stiff fines against those who hire illegal immigrants and English made the official language in the U.S.

"I don't believe there has been any point in the history of the United States where the political leaders of both parties, as well as my opponent, have been this far out of touch with the average American voter, be he white, black, Hispanic or other," Robinson said.

Robinson has already run a radio ad that features mariachi band music playing in the background. "If Miller had his way," says the announcer, "America would be nothing but one big fiesta for illegal aliens and homosexuals."

The immigration issue resonates with the Rev. Langston Logan, pastor of the East Cedar Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Roxboro. He is supporting Robinson.

"People are losing their jobs every week," Logan said. "The loss of a job affects an entire community. Whichever way this immigration [debate] goes, it's going to have some impact on our already devastated community."

Besides trying to attract white conservatives, Robinson hopes to siphon off 15 percent of the black vote. His campaign has sent separate mailings and left recorded telephone messages in the homes of black voters. The telephone message criticizes Miller for, among other things, living in an all-white neighborhood in the Five Points section of Raleigh.

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