By Sarah Nagem
Garland Pierce might feel a little lonely these days.
Pierce, a 20-year political veteran, is the only Democrat in the state legislature representing any county in the 200-mile stretch between Charlotte and Wilmington along North Carolina’s southern border. Once a textile and manufacturing hub, the area was a sure thing for Democrats for decades until more rural voters shifted to the GOP.
Pierce, who has often run unopposed for the N.C. House seat representing Scotland and Hoke counties, finds himself in unfamiliar territory ahead of the Nov. 5 election. He is defending himself against mailers paid for by the North Carolina Republican Party that say he wants to legalize prostitution and hard drugs.
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Pierce, a Baptist preacher, said he has always avoided negative campaigning but is frustrated by efforts to spread lies about him. The North Carolina Republican Party has sent similar mailers targeting Democratic candidates.
“Could I find stuff to fight with? You know I could,” he said. “But I choose not to.”
Pierce is competing against Republican Ralph Carter, a Scotland County orthopedic surgeon who embraces conservative policies that some local voters say better align with their values. Carter said during a candidate forum on Oct. 14 that the mailers did not come from his campaign, The Laurinburg Exchange reported.
The Pierce-Carter matchup in District 48, a poor and racially diverse region, matters for both political parties. If Carter wins, Republicans will have a better shot at keeping a super-majority in the state House. If Pierce wins, it might be a sign of success for the North Carolina Democratic Party’s efforts to re-engage rural communities and Black voters.
But how long can a Democrat — even a moderate Democrat like Pierce — hang on in a sea of red?
In 2016, Danny Britt became the first Republican to win a state Senate seat in nearby Robeson and Columbus counties. Republican Jarrod Lowery of Robeson County won a House seat in 2022 that was occupied by Democrat Charles Graham for more than a decade. Voters in Richmond and Brunswick counties haven’t picked a Democrat for the state legislature since 2016.
Pierce narrowly lost Scotland County, where he lives, two years ago to political newcomer Melissa Swarbrick. But he won Hoke County by about 16 percentage points, more than enough to push him to victory.
“He’s got a tight hold on these two counties,” Joe Patton, chairman of the Scotland County Republican Party, said of Pierce.
‘Too radical’
Carter, who grew up in Wilmington and has lived in Scotland County for 35 years, said he considered running for the District 48 seat two years ago but decided to wait. He said a handful of state leaders encouraged him to run, including Britt, Lowery and Republican Rep. Neal Jackson, who represents Moore and Randolph counties.
Carter said he was convinced when Republicans narrowly passed legislation he supports, including putting “reasonable restrictions on abortion,” banning transgender children in sports and expanding vouchers for private schools.
“That stuff is just too radical for me,” Carter said of liberal social policies. “So I want to go up there and be reinforcements for the folks who are carrying the ball.”
Pierce has a history of voting with Republicans on controversial issues, including House Bill 2 in 2016. The so-called “bathroom bill” said people in government buildings must use restrooms that correlate with their gender assigned at birth. LGBTQ advocates fiercely criticized the measure, which was signed into law by former Republican Gov. Pat McCrory and has since been repealed.
Pierce also voted with Republicans in 2019 in favor of the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act that called for holding doctors criminally responsible if they did not provide care to a fetus born alive during an abortion. The bill was not signed into law.
Last year, however, Pierce stuck with his Democratic peers and voted against a 12-week ban on most abortions. Republicans were able to override Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of the bill, which became law.
“After talking with some others, particularly women, I just came to the conclusion that it’s the women’s right to choose,” Pierce told the Border Belt Independent at the time.
Pierce said his priorities for an 11th term in office include bringing jobs to the region, creating more housing and supporting public schools.
Patton said Pierce has not done enough to address problems in Scotland County, which has the highest unemployment rate in the state and one of the highest crime rates. He’s counting on a Republican to bring more state money to the county.
The state budget that lawmakers approved last year included $20 million for water and sewer infrastructure upgrades in Laurinburg, $2 million for the development of an industrial site in Scotland County and $7 million for the Laurinburg-Maxton Airport.
“He’s a very nice man,” Patton said of Pierce. “I like him, I hang out with him. But we’re just trying to get the facts out there; we can do much better.”
Wooing rural voters
District 48 is more racially diverse than the rest of the state. About 39% of Scotland County residents are Black, as are about 32% of Hoke County residents.
Both counties are part of the Lumbee Native American tribe’s territory. Based in Robeson County, the 60,000-member tribe is the largest in the eastern United States. The tribe’s recent political shift to the GOP has made national headlines. The Republican National Committee opened an office in the Robeson County town of Pembroke in 2022, and the campaign for Democratic president hopeful Kamala Harris opened an office there over the summer.
Both political parties are vying for the Lumbee vote, just as they are counting on Black and rural voters to go to the polls. Donald Trump Jr. appeared at a campaign event for his father in the Robeson County town of Red Springs on Friday, the same day former President Bill Clinton visited with Lumbee representatives.
The Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance is expected to be at an event in the Hoke County town of Raeford this Friday.
Polls show Harris and Trump are tied in North Carolina, a crucial swing state that could decide the election. The race for president and governor could affect down-ballot candidates like those in District 48.
Pierce’s campaign had more money on hand at the end of June, according to campaign finance reports filed with the N.C. State Board of Elections. His campaign had nearly $137,000, while Carter’s campaign had nearly $33,000.
Patton said the Scotland County Republican Party did not recruit Carter to challenge Pierce. Carter, he said, “just decided this was his year.” He said he is confident Carter will win Scotland County, but Hoke County poses a bigger challenge.
Democrats are energized by Harris, according to Patton. But many voters across the region, he said, are fed up with “failed liberal policies.” Still, he says he continues to be surprised by the switch to the GOP, not just in Scotland County but the whole stretch between Charlotte and Wilmington.
“ I grew up in Scotland County,” Patton said, “and I thought nothing would ever break the (Democrats’) hold.”
