By james art By Sarah Nagem
Garland Pierce might be feeling a little lonely these days.
Pierce, a 20-year political veteran, is the only Democrat in the state legislature representing any district in the 200-mile stretch between Charlotte and Wilmington along North Carolina’s southern border. Once a textile and manufacturing center, the area was a sure thing for Democrats for decades until more rural voters drifted to the Republican Party.
Pearce, who has often run unopposed for the House of Commons seat for Scotland and Hawke, finds himself in unfamiliar territory ahead of the November 5 election. He’s defending himself against North Carolina GOP-paid pushers who say he wants to legalize prostitution and hard drugs.
Pearce, a Baptist preacher, said he had always avoided negative campaigns but was frustrated by efforts to spread lies about him. The North Carolina Republican Party sent similar letters targeting Democratic candidates.
“Can I find something to fight with? You know I can, he said. “But I choose not to.”
Pierce is running against Republican Ralph Carter, an orthopedic surgeon from Scotland County who embraces conservative politics that some local voters say are more in line with their values. Carter said during a candidate forum on Oct. 14 that the emails did not come from his campaign, The Laurinburg Stock Exchange reported.
The meeting between Pierce and Carter in District 48, a poor and racially diverse region, has implications for both political parties. If Carter wins, Republicans will have a better chance of retaining a supermajority in the House of States. If Pierce wins, it could be a sign of success in the North Carolina Democratic Party’s efforts to reengage rural communities and black voters.
But how long can a Democrat—even a moderate Democrat like Pierce—hold out 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 2022 House seat that had been held by Democrat Charles Graham for more than a decade. Voters in Richmond and Brunswick counties have not elected a Democrat to the state legislature since 2016.
Pierce narrowly lost his home county of Scotland two years ago to political newcomer Melissa Swarbrick. But he won Hoke County by about 16 percentage points, more than enough to propel him to victory.
“He has a tight grip on those 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. Neil Jackson, who represents Moore and Randolph counties.
Carter said he was convinced when Republicans passed few laws he supports, including placing “reasonable restrictions on abortion,” banning transgender children from sports and expanding private school vouchers.
“These things are too radical for me,” Carter said of liberal social policies. “So I want to go out there and be a backup to the people who carry the ball.”
Pierce has a history of voting with Republicans on controversial issues, including House Bill 2 in 2016. The so-called “bathroom bill” says people in government buildings must use restrooms that match 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 Abortion Survivors Born Alive Protection Act, which calls for criminal liability for doctors if they fail to provide care to a fetus born alive during an abortion. The bill was not signed into law.
Last year, however, Pearce sided with her Democratic colleagues 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 to some others, especially women, I’ve just come to the conclusion that it’s a women’s right to choose,” Pierce told Border Belt Independent at that time.
Pierce said his priorities for the 11th term 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 to upgrade water and sewer infrastructure in Laurinburg, $2 million to develop an industrial site in Scotland County and $7 million for the Laurinburg-Maxton Airport.
“He’s a very nice guy,” Patton said of Pierce. “I like him, I go out with him. But we’re just trying to get the facts out there; we can do much better.”
Courting 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 Hawke County residents.
Both counties are part of the Lumbee Indian 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 Republican Party made national headlines. The Republican National Committee opened an office in the Robeson County town of Pembroke in 2022, and the campaign for Democratic presidential nominee 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.
GOP vice presidential candidate JD Vance is expected to attend an event in the Hawke County town of Raeford this Friday.
Polls show Harris and Trump tied in North Carolina, a crucial state that could decide the election. The race for president and governor could affect candidates with fewer votes 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 NC State Election Commission. 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 Hawke County presents a bigger challenge.
Democrats are fueled by Harris, according to Patton. But many voters in the region, he said, were fed up with “failed liberal policies.” Still, he says he continues to be surprised by the swing to the GOP, not just in Scotland County, but across the stretch between Charlotte and Wilmington.
“I grew up in Scotland County,” Patton said, “and I thought nothing would ever break the (Democrats’) hold.”
