Wake Rep. Paré launches congressional campaign | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's Note: This post appears here courtesy of the Carolina Journal. The author of this post is CJ Staff.

    The only Wake County Republican currently serving in the North Carolina General Assembly will run for Congress. State Rep. Erin Paré will pursue a critical swing seat that will be key in the GOP's 2024 efforts to retain a narrow U.S. House majority.

    Paré - a mother, business owner, and military spouse - declared her candidacy Wednesday for Congress. She announced that she is putting $400,000 of her own money into the campaign. In a video announcing her run, Paré said she "is everything the far left fears most."

    Paré filed to run in North Carolina's new 13th Congressional District. It includes Johnston County and parts of Harnett, Wake, and Wayne counties.

    "I'm running for Congress because the country I grew up in is not the same one we are leaving behind for our kids," Paré said. "I won't stand by while radical liberals ruin our economy, allow crime to run rampant on our streets, and indoctrinate our children. In Raleigh, I've been a conservative leader willing to stand up to the woke mob on behalf of conservatives in this region. I'll do the same in Washington."

    Paré is a married mother of two children. Her husband is a combat veteran who deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan while serving with the 75th Ranger Regiment. In 2020, she defeated a Democrat incumbent to win the 37th District seat in the North Carolina House of Representatives. She was re-elected in 2022.

    The 13th District congressional seat is currently held by Democrat Wiley Nickel. Nickel served as a member of the North Carolina Senate from the 16th District from 2019 to 2023. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2022, defeating Republican Bo Hines, 51% to 48%.

    The district as currently drawn is North Carolina's most competitive congressional district, but could become slightly more GOP-leaning when redrawn later this fall. Other Republicans in or considering the race include Johnston County businessman DeVan Barbour, GOP operative Jeff Hauser, and US Air Force Reserve Colonel and physician Josh McConkey.