But some did speak publicly, and others raised concerns about whether Cawthorn truly understands suburban and urban conservatives, and whether his support would come from locals versus outside PACs. “He’s a joke, and unfortunately as a resident of the 13th District I don’t want the joke to be on us,” said Charles Jeter, a Republican former state representative and Huntersville town board member. “A lot of folks in the Republican Party recognize that, frankly, if Madison Cawthorn is the future of the Republican Party then the Republican Party doesn’t have a future.”
Matthew Ridenhour, a former Republican member of the Mecklenburg County Board of County Commissioners, said on Twitter that Cawthorn’s video was “an insult to the people of the 13th.” “Voters in the new 13th don’t need some savior swooping in to rescue them from themselves,” he wrote. Stacy Phillips, a town board member in Huntersville, said that among many local Republicans and unaffiliated voters, Cawthorn’s entry into the district has been “the talking point.” “Everyone I’ve spoken to thus far is really unhappy and uncomfortable that he made this move,” said Phillips, a former Republican who is now unaffiliated. “You don’t even live here and you need to save us? That’s not OK.”
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