RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Following the final approval of a new congressional map favoring Republicans by the North Carolina General Assembly, a former congressman, Ex-U.S. Rep. Mark Walker, has announced his decision to withdraw from the Republican primary for governor in order to reclaim his seat in the U.S. House.
Ex-U.S. Rep. Mark Walker, a former Baptist pastor from Greensboro, formally launched his bid on Wednesday to reclaim the district he previously represented in the U.S. House. He had held the seat until a previous redistricting cycle enabled Democratic Rep. Kathy Manning to take office.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Walker stated, “I didn’t willingly step down. Now that the General Assembly has reinstated the 6th District according to its historical conservative Republican representation, it feels like the right time to reengage with the country’s ongoing affairs.”
The Republican-controlled General Assembly approved a plan on Wednesday for North Carolina’s 14 U.S. House seats. This plan includes 10 districts that seem to support Republicans, three that favor Democrats, and one that could be considered competitive, based on statewide election data. Currently, each party holds seven congressional seats in the state.
In the 2022 elections, the state Supreme Court shifted from a Democratic to a Republican majority. In April, the court ruled that the state constitution imposes no restrictions on redrawing district lines for partisan gain. This ruling granted lawmakers the freedom to create new boundaries that could potentially help the GOP gain at least three seats in the U.S. House next year.
Walker previously served three terms in Congress from 2015 to 2021. He was unsuccessful in the state’s 2022 U.S. Senate primary. In May, he joined a crowded field of candidates for the GOP gubernatorial nomination, along with Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson and State Treasurer Dale Folwell.
Walker’s new plan is to challenge Manning, a second-term congresswoman. Manning expressed in a statement last week her concern that the newly Republican-leaning 6th Congressional District undermines fair representation by grouping together counties with significant differences.
Walker explained that he no longer sees “a clear path forward” to secure the gubernatorial nomination and believes that withdrawing from the race improves Republicans’ chances of winning the office. The Democrats have held the governorship for the majority of the last three decades.
The Democratic nomination for governor is being sought by State Attorney General Josh Stein and former state Supreme Court Associate Justice Mike Morgan.
This year, the Republican supermajorities in the General Assembly passed legislation that limits the governor’s authority to appoint individuals to crucial boards and commissions. Walker cites this as a reason why he decided not to continue his gubernatorial campaign.
He stated, “With the supermajorities in the statehouse, it really places restrictions on what a governor can effectively lead or accomplish within that branch of government. We concluded that this was the best course of action if we wanted to make the most impact through our service.”
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Hannah Schoenbaum is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
