Former Mecklenburg Commissioner and Liberty Conservative Matthew Ridenhour has filed paperwork to run for Congress in the 9th district of North Carolina. Ridenhour will make his official announcement on Wednesday, mounting a campaign for a seat which is in the midst of a special election following a voter fraud scandal.
Incumbent Mark Harris will not be running in the special election, opening the door for other Republicans to enter the race. Ridenhour hopes to win what will be a very crowded primary, setting the stage for a tough race against Democrat challenger Dan McCready.
Ridenhour is well known in the North Carolina Tea Party & Liberty movements, with activists all over the state vouching for his authenticity as an advocate for limited government. He has been called a frontrunner by several news outlets, and was even called a “rising star” by Politico. Leaders in the North Carolina liberty movement were ecstatic at the news.
“Matthew Ridenhour has been a friend for over 10 years” Said former North Carolina Campaign for Liberty State Coordinator Adam Love “I first met him during my early days of Liberty activism. In the time I have known him, I have seen him evolve from concerned citizen, to Tea Party organizer, to candidate, to public servant. He succeeded the late Neil Cooksey to represent the 5th District of Mecklenburg County for 3 terms, and in that time, demonstrated a singular dedication to his constituents, and Mecklenburg County as a whole, faithfully standing up for our rights to live free from government overreach, and also advocating the cause of people living together in community, despite our different opinions and backgrounds.”
In a time where viable liberty candidates rarely come around, Ridenhour stands out as an important race for the liberty movement. If elected, Ridenhour would likely be one of the most liberty friendly members of the entire Congress. Given the crowded primary field and highly competitive district, the opportunity to elect someone of this caliber should rouse liberty activists to action.
