Jan. 20—HIGH POINT — Former High Point mayor Jay Wagner said that his biggest challenge running for the Republican Party nomination in the 6th Congressional District is getting voters to know him in a redrawn district stretching from eastern Forsyth County to the western tip of Cabarrus County.

But Wagner said the other five GOP candidates in the race face the same dilemma, which Wagner said makes the contest winnable for him if he can outorganize his opponents and get his supporters to the polls.

Wagner said that his long, local political career as mayor, and before that as a councilman, will help raise his campaign’s profile in High Point, which is the largest city in the redrawn 6th District. As mayor, he also came to know the mayors of other municipalities in the region.

“High Point will help with my name recognition,” Wagner said, and the redrawn district includes all of Davidson County, where he has worked for over a decade as town attorney for Wallburg. “So that helps me there.”

The Republican primary takes on a critical role in the 6th District because no Democrat is in the race, all but assuring the primary winner takes the seat. Two-term Rep. Kathy Manning, D-6th, didn’t seek reelection, saying Republican leaders of the N.C. General Assembly gerrymandered the district so that no Democrat could win the seat.

If Wagner wins, he could make political history by becoming the first congressman from High Point.

The 6th District race also is receiving attention because of the role of former President Donald Trump, who endorsed a previously low-profile GOP staff member, Addison McDowell. McDowell is a native of Davidson County but has not lived there in recent years.

Wagner told The Enterprise that voters should look beyond any single issue, including Trump’s endorsement, to pick the best candidate in the field.

“Just because Trump endorses someone doesn’t mean they’re qualified to hold the office,” Wagner said.

Wagner also is quick to point out he is the only candidate who lives within the current boundaries of the 6th District. Candidates for Congress in North Carolina don’t have to live in the district where they run, but Wagner said that candidates who don’t live within the district create “a question of trust.”

The other candidates are former 6th District congressman Mark Walker, 2022 6th District nominee Christian Castelli, physician Mary Ann Contogiannis of Greensboro and Bo Hines, who narrowly lost a congressional race in eastern North Carolina in 2022.

Early voting begins Feb. 15 with primary election day March 5.

Wagner said that his campaign has raised about $145,000, which he said is a fundraising pace that will allow him to run a competitive race.

He said he started thinking about a bid for Congress in August after announcing this past summer that he wouldn’t seek another term as mayor.

“Win or lose, it’s been a great adventure,” he said.

pjohnson@hpenews.com — 336-888-3528 — @HPEpaul