Daughtry, Knott head for GOP runoff in Triangle-area congressional district

One of the Triangle’s most hotly contested primary races is headed for a runoff.

Local attorney Kelly Daughtry received more votes than any other candidate in the Republican primary for the 13th Congressional District seat. She received 27% of the vote and 7,000 more votes than the second place finisher, former federal prosecutor Brad Knott.

But if no candidate receives more than 30%, the second-place finisher can request a May 14 runoff election against the top vote-getter.

Knott announced his intentions in a social media post Wednesday afternoon.

“We're hitting the campaign trail again to secure victory in the NC 13 Republican Primary Runoff on May 14 so that I can fight for you in Congress to secure the border, stop the surge in crime and disorder, and reduce inflation by cutting wasteful spending,” Knott said in his post.

“In the fall election, I will join with President Trump to take the fight to the Democrats,” Knott said. “I humbly ask for your continued support!

Daughtry released a similar statement Wednesday morning, saying she was “overwhelmed by the support” she received at the polls.

“Trump won in a landslide here in North Carolina and I will work with Trump when I get to Congress to secure the border, reduce inflation, and refocus our foreign policy,” Daughtry said in a statement. “I look forward to the next 60 days as we continue to rally support in North Carolina’s 13th Congressional District.”

The winner of the GOP primary will face Democrat Frank Pierce in November. Pierce is running unopposed and therefore didn’t appear on primary ballots.

Recent changes to the district made it appealing to more than a dozen Republican candidates.

Legislators changed the state’s election maps last year, reconfiguring the district’s boundaries so that it now leans heavily Republican. As a result, Democratic U.S. Rep. Wiley Nickel, who won a tight race in 2022, isn’t seeking reelection.

Daughtry and Knott were considered favorites to win the GOP nomination, along with businessmen Fred Von Canon and DeVan Barbour — and each finished in the top four. Behind Daughtry, Knott received 18% of the vote, Von Canon received 17% of the vote, and Barbour received 15% of the vote.

All of the other candidates received 7% of the vote or less.

Republican insiders predicted that Daughtry and Von Canon would be competitive because they have the capability to invest millions in their campaigns. And they did. Daughtry loaned her campaign $2 million and Von Canon loaned his campaign $1.8 million.

Insiders believed Barbour would compete because, like Daughtry, he gained some name recognition in the area while running for the seat in 2022 and coming up short in the primary.

GOP insiders also predicted that Knott’s campaign message — that he cracked down on crime and illegal immigration as a prosecutor — would translate to electoral success because border security is a top issue for Republican voters.

Knott and Daughtry also hail from families with political connections and benefited from support from super PACs.

The American Foundations Committee, funded by Knott’s family members, spent about $1 million to help Knott.

The Conservative Voters Alliance, funded by Daughtry’s father, a former state legislator, spent about $1 million to help Daughtry, a spokesman told WRAL. Luke Stancil, a spokesman for the committee, told WRAL that if Knott requests a runoff, the committee will announce “a massive investment” to support Daughtry.

“If it’s next week or May 14th, Kelly Daughtry will be the Republican nominee to represent N.C. District 13,” he said.

A runoff election could get ugly and costly.

Given the district’s new Republican lean, whoever wins the primary will almost assuredly go on to Congress.

Opponents attacked Daughtry for donating to Democrats in previous elections, while Knott faced criticism for working under Democratic presidential administrations. Knott also came under scrutiny for voting from the wrong address for years.

Redistricting left candidates in the district with more campaign trail to cover.

North Carolina’s GOP-controlled General Assembly redrew the state’s election maps last year, reconfiguring the 13th District and giving Republicans a major advantage.

In 2022, the district was mostly confined to the southeastern regions of the Triangle in Wake, Johnston and Harnett Counties.

Now, it curls around Wake County like a fish hook. It starts in Caswell County and stretches eastward across the state’s northern border before dropping into Franklin, Johnston and Harnett counties. It then turns west again, capturing the south extremes of Wake County before ending southwest of the Triangle in Lee County.