George Holding, whose district now leans Democratic, won’t run vs. GOP incumbent
Update Dec. 6, 2019: Holding announced he won’t run in 2020. Find the latest here.
Challenging a fellow Republican incumbent looks like Rep. George Holding’s most plausible path to re-election — and he’s done it before.
But Holding, whose Republican-leaning U.S. House district was redrawn into a Democratic-leaning one, will not challenge a sitting GOP colleague in 2020, he told The News & Observer on Wednesday.
“The districts around me are very ably represented. I wouldn’t run against a colleague in one of my neighboring districts,” said Holding, a Raleigh Republican in his fourth term in Congress.
Nor did he indicate any interest in a long-shot bid for the new 2nd district, calling it “a safe Democrat seat.”
“I would never run in a race just to run. You got to run to win and you wouldn’t undertake something that you couldn’t win,” Holding said.
Holding’s current 2nd district includes parts or all of Franklin, Harnett, Johnston, Nash, Wake and Wilson counties. Under the 2020 congressional map passed by Republicans in the state legislature last month and upheld by a three-judge panel in Raleigh on Monday, the 2nd district will be wholly contained in Wake County.
With all of the incumbents in Eastern North Carolina districts indicating they would run for re-election, that doesn’t leave many 2020 options for Holding.
But there could be some in 2022.
Holding did not rule out a Senate run. Sen. Richard Burr, a Republican, said he would not run for another term. Holding also said the Triangle could add another House seat in 2022 when the congressional map will be redrawn again after the Census.
North Carolina is expected to gain a 14th U.S. House seat after the Census.
“So that’s another thing to look at,” he said.
The districts were redrawn by state lawmakers after a panel of three judges said it was likely to declare the current map an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander. The current map produced a 10-3 Republican advantage in the delegation, while the new map is widely expected to produce an 8-5 Republican edge.
Holding’s district and Rep. Mark Walker’s Greensboro-area district are the ones that are expected to flip under the redrawn maps.
Walker has not ruled out challenging a sitting member of Congress.
That’s what Holding did in 2016, after a previous round of court-ordered redistricting. His 13th district was moved to the Triad, so he challenged Rep. Renee Ellmers in the 2nd district and won their GOP primary.
Each of the sitting representatives were drawn into their own district. There is no requirement in North Carolina that a member of Congress live in their district, but Holding previously said that he thinks members should at least live in a county that is in the district.
“I grew up kind of all over Eastern North Carolina,” Holding said.
The new 4th district will also include part of Wake County. But that district, currently represented by David Price, is also expected to be a heavily Democratic district.
“No one is entitled to a congressional district. This is the people’s House,” Holding said previously. “I’m going to be here and be effective as long as I can be here, but no one is entitled to a congressional district.”
Holding is a member of the Ways and Means Committee and helped write parts of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which dramatically lowered taxes on corporations and also included tax cuts for individuals, including the nation’s highest earners.
He said at the time getting the economy moving would help restore confidence in America for future generations.
Holding said at the time he was “thrilled” to be working on the tax bill and said he considered it a once-in-a-generation change.
Holding has pushed for the House to approve a new trade agreement with Canada and Mexico that has been negotiated by the Trump administration.
“I’m very happy with the last seven years and ability to serve and be successful on some things. There’s still a lot to do. There always will be a lot to do,” Holding said.
Holding’s family owns First Citizens Bank, and he is estimated to be worth millions.
Several Democrats planned to run against Holding under the old map. Since Monday’s approval of the new map, former state Rep. Deborah Ross — who lost her 2016 U.S. Senate bid against Republican Richard Burr — announced her candidacy in the district. Wake County Public Schools board member Monika Johnson-Hostler confirmed she would continue her candidacy in the new district.
For more North Carolina government and politics news, listen to the Domecast politics podcast from The News & Observer and the NC Insider. You can find it on Megaphone, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts.
This story was originally published December 4, 2019 at 4:25 PM.
