Three new republican candidates enter 9th Congressional District race

NORTH CAROLINA — Three new republican candidates are entering the race for the 9th Congressional District.

State Senator Dan Bishop of Charlotte officially filed Thursday afternoon in Raleigh. Sources tell Channel 9 Bishop is investing $250,000 of his own cash in the campaign and has already raised a significant amount of cash. Republican heavy hitters Jim Blaine and Ray Martin are running Bishop's campaign.

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Bishop is a strong conservative and was the only Charlotte republican state or local lawmaker to survive Mecklenburg County's blue wave in 2018. He is currently the only republican in the Mecklenburg Delegation.

The three term senator has been viewed at times as a controversial figure in Charlotte. Bishop authored House Bill 2, also known as the bathroom bill, in 2016.

Fayetteville businesswoman Stevie Rivenbark also entered the race. Rivenbark, a single mother, says she is proudly pro-life and pro Second Amendment. In an interview with Channel 9 Thursday, Rivenbark said her other top priorities are hurricane relief and immigration.

Rivenbark has no political experience but believes that will benefit her in the race.

"I am just like every other American working hard to make ends meet, a single mom trying to pay rising childcare costs and medical bills and I think if we keep sending elitists to Washington to represent us we are not going to have the effective change that we want," Rivenbark said.

Rivenbark does not live in the 9th District but says she lives 200 yards away. She is the first candidate from outside Mecklenburg and Union Counties. The 9th District stretches from Charlotte to Bladen County.

Now on Dan Bishop's website #NC09 #ncpol @wsoctv: pic.twitter.com/Npt36vEH0f
— Joe Bruno (@JoeBrunoWSOC9) March 14, 2019

"I think that is exactly what we need a fresh face," Rivenbark said. "The eastern part of the district is important, while we may be smaller, we bring a lot to the table."

The third candidate to file to run Thursday was Kathie Day of Cornelius. Cornelius is not in the 9th District.