Democrat Barfield faces uphill fight against Republican Rouzer in 7th Congressional District
Democratic challenger Jonathan Barfield Jr. is in for an uphill battle to unseat Republican David Rouzer in the U.S. House of Representatives' 7th District, a political analyst says.
"With 2014 election trends tending to favor Republicans, it would be even harder for a Democrat to win this year," said Mitch Kokai, political analyst for the John Locke Foundation, a small-government conservative think tank in Raleigh.
"That's why the real fight in this year's race took place during the Republican primary, as David Rouzer had to fight off a challenge from New Hanover County Board of Commissioners Chairman Woody White."
In May, Rouzer was the top Republican vote-getter, edging out White by about 5,700 votes. Now Rouzer, of Benson, and Barfield, of Wilmington, are campaigning for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 7th District.
"Going into the campaign, all the stars aligned in favor of the Republican seeking North Carolina's 7th District Congressional seat," Kokai said. "Mike McIntyre, a long-serving moderate-to-conservative Democratic incumbent with no major negative baggage, was barely able to win re-election in 2012, which was a relatively good year for Democrats nationally."
Rouzer narrowly lost a bid for that seat to McIntyre in 2012.
McIntyre, a Democrat, served nine terms since taking office in 1997. In January, he announced that he would retire at the end of his term.
The 7th District covers Duplin, Sampson, Johnston, Bladen, Columbus and Brunswick counties. It also covers portions of Lenoir, Cumberland, Hoke, Robeson, New Hanover and Pender counties.
The district was redrawn after the 2010 Census.
Despite the political outlook, Barfield said he is focused on winning the race.
See the original post:
Democrat Barfield faces uphill fight against Republican Rouzer in 7th Congressional District