Rep. Walter Jones has died on his 76th birthday. He entered hospice care in late January. He was one of the most mavericky Republicans in the house, only voting with Trump 49% of the time, according to FiveThirtyEight. He also deeply opposed the Iraq War, and voted against the GOP healthcare bill and tax cuts in 2017. One of his most eye-turning statements was when he suggested French fries and French toast served in the congressional cafeteria should be renamed “freedom fries”, after the French refused to intervene in Iraq (he still supported the war at that point). His broad appeal across the political spectrum makes his loss even worse to many, including me, and hopefully you. Before scrolling down, let’s all take a moment of silence for our lost congressman.
Now, the fun part, the special election that will replace him. Jones represented an R+12 district in and around the Outer Banks that Trump won by 24 points. This election may be held the same day as the state primaries, May 7, or Gov. Roy Cooper may opt for another day. Obviously, this is a stretch for Democrats, and I’ll start of this race as Safe Republican. But, I’ll say that perhaps a local, more blue-dog oriented Democrat, perhaps a county commissioner, might make the race at least interesting. Keep in mind, the most Trumpian district the Democrats flipped in 2018 was New York’s 21st, which he won by 16 points. So this district voted for Trump by 8 more points than that. Any action will probably be in the Republican primary, a battle between a Walter Jones-like maverick who wants to keep the seat like it should’ve been if Jones hadn’t died, and a conservative, frustrated a district so red has been held in moderate hands for so long.
In other news, Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota senator, has declared candidacy for president of the United States. You may also remember her as the nice woman at the Kavanaugh hearings. In a Clinton+2 state, Klobuchar won re-election by 24 points last year. She’d seem to be the perfect candidate to take on Trump, coming from rust belt Minnesota, and she may yet be. However, a report came out a few days ago that she may have mistreated/abused her staff, ruling her office with fear and humiliation. All things considered, I’ll put her between Elizabeth Warren and Kirsten Gillibrand on the best shot tracker.
