In the first primaries for the Fourth Congressional District to feature Chatham County since 2014, incumbent Rep. David Price of Wake County earned the Democratic nomination, while Durham businessman Robert Thomas clinched the Republican candidacy, with 95 percent of precincts reporting as of press time.
The district was redrawn late last year and moved Chatham out of the 6th District and split the county between the 4th District, covering the majority of the county, and the 13th District in the far west. The new 4th District also includes Orange, Durham, Granville and Franklin counties, as well as portions of Wake and Vance counties.
Chatham has been represented in full by U.S. Rep. Mark Walker (R-Greensboro), who is not seeking re-election, since 2016.
For Democrats, Price earned nearly 87 percent of the vote ahead of challenger Daniel Ulysses Lockwood. Price got 87 percent of Chatham’s voters as well.
Price has occupied his House of Representatives seat since 1997 after previously holding the position from 1987 to 1995. A former professor of political science and public policy at Duke University, Price said he hoped to be able to support all Democrats in November.
“I’m grateful for the strong support I received in tonight’s primary election from constituents new and old,” he said in a statement. “They sent a resounding message: we must keep fighting against the reckless and divisive policies of Donald Trump.
“If we want a future with accessible affordable housing, affordable health care, a clean environment and strong public education, we must elect Democrats up and down the ballot. I look forward to running an energetic campaign that supports this team effort.”
Republicans chose Thomas with 48.6 percent of the vote. He edged out Debesh Sarkar (22.8 percent), 2018 nominee Steve A. Von Loor (17.1 percent) and Nasir A. Shaikh (11.5 percent). Thomas won nearly 52 percent of the GOP votes in Chatham.
A Durham resident who most recently worked as a residential real estate appraiser, Thomas advocates for stronger protections at the U.S.-Mexico border and “the right to keep and bear arms,” while saying there “must (be) some rational limitations” to weapon possession. He also states three priorities: working on immigration, trade and drug prices.
In Price’s last Chatham County election, 2014, he got nearly 65 percent of the vote against Republican Paul Wright in the county and nearly tripled Wright’s total across the entire district.
Reporter Zachary Horner can be reached at zhorner@chathamnr.com or on Twitter at @ZachHornerCNR.