Back in August, Republican Rep. Robert Pittenger acknowledged that his family's real estate company, Pittenger Land Investments, is the target of an FBI investigation. Pittenger still looks safe in the dependably red NC-09: The incumbent only faces a primary challenge from former CIA agent George Rouco, who appears to be more of a Some Dude than an actual threat. However, Rouco just picked up an endorsement from Sue Myrick, who represented this area from 1995 to 2013.
While Myrick didn’t mention the investigation directly, she noted that the American people “see their representatives as serving themselves – not the people who elected them,” a very thinly veiled shot at Pittenger. Myrick backed another candidate against Pittenger in 2012, so there’s little love lost between the two, but Myrick’s support could encourage voters and influential Republicans to take a look at Rouco. The primary is March 15, so Rouco doesn’t have time on his side. Other North Carolina Republicans are sticking with Pittenger: The congressman has the support of Sen. Richard Burr and powerful Rep. Patrick McHenry.