Chatham County voters will elect a new congressman on Nov. 8 after being placed in N.C.’s 9th Congressional District, which also includes Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Moore, Randolph, Richmond and Scotland counties.
The choices: 10-year incumbent Richard Hudson, a Republican, and Democratic challenger Ben Clark, a familiar face to some in the 9th District after he served as the state senator for Hoke and Cumberland counties. Hudson, who previously represented most of the counties in the newly-redrawn 9th, chose to seek a seat there instead of the new 12th District after the reconfiguration of House boundaries.
The campaigns to be the 9th district’s representative have focused on various national issues — high inflation rates, reproductive rights, water pollution and voters’ rights.
Clark and Hudson have different goals if elected to represent Chatham and other counties in the 9th district.
Hudson said three most significant issues he wants to tackle are inflation, security at the U.S. Southern border to Mexico and increasing energy production in the United States. But there are other subjects Hudson hopes to address in a sixth term.
The biggest issue plaguing the nation, Hudson said, is inflation. With the highest inflation rates in decades continuing to rise, Hudson wants to “cut reckless government spending and end anti-American energy policies,” which he says have contributed to the increases in costs of many goods.
“Inflation is impacting every family and business in Chatham and across North Carolina,” Hudson said in responses in a questionnaire provided by the News + Record. “Under the current majority, Congress is failing to address the needs of families suffering the highest gas and grocery prices in generations and record crime in our streets … Under new leadership, Congress must change course to cut inflation-causing spending, unleash American energy, secure our border, and provide solutions to the challenges facing our nation.”
While Hudson’s focus is on the economy, Clark’s is on women’s rights and equity. According to the Democratic challenger, he wants to ensure women “can care for their families and that they don’t go broke.”
“The assault on women’s rights is a problem in N.C.,” Clark said. “Restoring and expand women’s rights. Ensure women earn equal pay for equal work. Make sure they can care for their families and that they don’t go broke because they take a year off to care for a new baby or an elderly relative … In Congress I will fight to protect their rights.”
Chatham County is set to become the home of two new large manufacturing facilities: VinFast’s first electric vehicle manufacturing facility in the U.S. near Moncure and Wolfspeed’s silicon carbide microchip manufacturing plant in Siler City. With both companies having made announcements this year, Hudson said it’s important to ensure the quality of life for residents doesn’t diminish.
“New industries coming to Chatham are good news for our economy, however, we need to ensure we are working to grow our economy, develop our workforce, and create jobs, all while also preserving our region’s quality of life that is second-to-none,” he said. “This requires a balanced approach to investing in families, infrastructure, education, and housing.”
Clark said housing is a key factor in ensuring growth can happen in a way that’s affordable for new and current residents. By providing more affordable housing options, Clark said the district will be able to accommodate the coming growth.
“The growth is a great thing; government needs to be more nimble to respond to that growth,” he said. “In Congress, I will secure funding for housing to begin to catch up with the demand. I’ll work hard for that and for the increased education dollars that will be needed to support growth in the schools as well.”
Hudson has labeled himself as one of the most conservative congressmen in Washington. He said he “a proven track record as a conservative who gets things done for our region,” and would use his position to work with Democrats to create policies to help all of his constituents.
“For example, I’ve worked across the aisle to cap out-of-pocket insulin at $35 and to expand rural broadband,” Hudson said, citing House Resolution 6833. “I’ve also been rated the most effective legislator from North Carolina, having more than 60 bills signed into law … With crises facing our country, we need leaders who will implement House Republicans’ Commitment to America to build an economy that’s strong, a nation that’s safe, a future based on freedom, and a government that’s accountable.”
Clark, though, has issues with Hudson’s record in Congress, citing Hudson’s vote against certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Hudson wrote a letter to his constituents explaining his decision, saying it was within his Congressional obligation to object to an election with an outcome he said “millions of people do not trust.”
“Every American should want to ensure our election laws were followed correctly and investigate every case of alleged fraud, no matter how it would impact the outcome of the election,” Hudson wrote on Jan. 3, 2021. “I am also concerned about the impact big tech bias and censorship had on this election … For these reasons, I believe it is my Constitutional duty to object to certifying the Electoral College votes of certain states that violated their own election laws.”
Clark said Hudson’s decision to object to the election was a “threat to democracy,” and he thinks the district deserves a representative who believes in the processes in place to elect leadership.
“My plan was to retire from elective office and find other ways to serve in my community, [but] watching Richard Hudson actively participate in an insurrection against this nation and call it his ‘solemn duty’ changed my thinking,” Clark said. “I’m running because I swore an oath to protect democracy from threats at home and abroad. Hudson is a threat to democracy at home.”
When asked about the 2020 presidential election by the News + Record, Hudson said he did believe the results were legitimate. But he also said he believes the Supreme Court should make a ruling regarding the federal government’s role in elections.
“The Constitution is clear that only state legislatures can change election laws,” Hudson said. “In 2020, there were numerous examples of other entities modifying rules and the Supreme Court must weigh in to remove ambiguity.”
Early voting in Chatham County is now open and lasts through Nov. 5. The general midterm election is on Nov. 8. To find your polling location, visit vt.ncsbe.gov/PPLkup. To view the candidates’ full questionnaire responses visit chathamnewsrecord.com/elections.
Reporter Taylor Heeden can be reached at theeden@chathamnr.com and on Twitter at @HeedenTaylor.