A Republican ‘gun girl’ is challenging the top NC House Democrat
The leader of the Democrats in the state House of Representatives, a voice for stricter gun laws, will have to defend his seat against a Republican firearms trainer this fall.
Rhonda Allen of Wendell on Wednesday filed to run for North Carolina House District 39, currently held by Democrat Darren Jackson. Jackson, who lives in eastern Wake County near Knightdale, is the House minority leader. Martin Matuszewski, a Libertarian, has also filed to run for the seat.
Reached Wednesday morning, Allen says she worked for the city of Raleigh’s planning department as a content manager before retiring in 2014. Allen and her husband, Barry, are certified by the National Rifle Association to train people to use firearms. They offer courses at the Academy of Personal Defense and Security in Wendell.
“I felt that the voters need a conservative voice on the ballot,” she said.
Her profile photo on Facebook shows her holding a license plate with the words “gun girl.”
Allen’s entry into the race comes amid an intense national debate over how to best prevent mass shootings. In mid-February, a gunman used an AR-15 to kill 17 people and injure several others at a high school in Parkland, Florida. A 19-year-old former student, Nikolas Cruz, is charged in the massacre.
Many Democrats, including Jackson, support banning assault-style weapons. Many Republicans, meanwhile, have instead talked about the failures of government agencies to prevent attacks like the one in Florida.
Jackson, 47, has said he supports raising the minimum age to purchase firearms and banning bump stocks that allow more rapid firing. Allen, 51, said she has “very strong feelings on guns” but declined to elaborate on her positions until a later date.
The November elections are pivotal for North Carolina Democrats, who aim to gain influence in state politics. Republicans hold so many seats in the state House and state Senate that they can override the vetoes of Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper.
The North Carolina Democratic Party has launched an effort to break the Republican supermajority. But the party will have to defend incumbents across the state as well. Candidate filing ended at noon Wednesday.
Paul A. Specht: 919-829-4870, @AndySpecht
This story was originally published February 28, 2018 at 12:25 PM with the headline "A Republican ‘gun girl’ is challenging the top NC House Democrat."