Former North Carolina Republican governor Pat McCrory has just launched a run for the U.S. Senate. As the first Republican to have partisan control of North Carolina’s House and Senate since 1870, McCrory spent much of his four years as governor attacking the LGBTQ and minority communities, and signing conservative legislation so divisive the national news often focused on the Tar Heel State.
Now, after losing re-election in 2016, making him a one-term governor, McCrory has posted a video announcing his campaign that’s filled with falsehoods, has echoes of Trumpism, and targets Vice President Kamala Harris.
“50-50,” McCrory says in his first senatorial campaign ad. “The United States Senate is split right down the middle. 50 Republicans, 50 Democrats, and that puts Vice President Kamala Harris in charge, giving the left everything they want to radically change America for generations to come,” McCrory fear-mongers, despite the fact that President Joe Biden has a staggeringly high approval rating and the legislation he has signed into law, and is currently advocating for, like the infrastructure and jobs bill, is supported by seven out of 10 Americans.
“Harris and Biden are opening our borders before they even open up our schools,” he says, which is a lie on both counts, especially since opening or closing schools is a state and local decision.
“They’re raising your taxes, and even the price of gas,” again, false, unless you make $400,000 a year.
“I took on the tough fights, and the Liberals attack me for it,”: McCrory brags. Except it wasn’t only liberals who attacked him.
Dozens of corporations attacked his policies. The U.S. Dept. of Justice sued him. And there were national boycotts of North Carolina over McCrory’s anti-LGBTQ HB2 law that targeting transgender people through the use of restrooms and voided every local nondiscrimination ordinances, even for veterans.
Because of McCrory North Carolina lost millions in revenue.
“It’s time we joined together and take back the Senate from Kamala Harris,” McCrory says.
“So I’m in,” he declares. “Let’s put America first and bring conservative, North Carolina, common sense to Washington.”
Notice the “America first” dog whistle to pro-Trump voters.
After McCrory lost his race for re-election he became a radio show host and railed against “the African American vote,” and the number of Black people entering public office in his home town.
“We’ve become a very segregated political system in Charlotte-Mecklenburg (county),” McCrory lamented, complaining about the “tremendous change in dynamics” of the political system, and warning that “Democrats” control the city, “unlike the diversity that we had in the political system ten years ago.”
“The Black Political Caucus has total control over the Democratic Party,” in Charlotte, McCrory claimed. “Because in the primaries the demographics is that the African American vote dominates the Democratic primary. So therefore if all elections in Charlotte-Mecklenburg are determined by the Democratic primary, all primaries are then determined by the Black Political Caucus.”
Watch McCrory’s new ad for his U.S. Senate campaign: