GOP congressman sees opening in North Carolina attorney general race as focuses shift to state politics
Julia Johnson
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Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC) will not seek reelection to Congress, instead running for North Carolina attorney general because he believes he can “do more for the people of North Carolina as attorney general than I can right now as a member of Congress.”
The prominent House Freedom Caucus member, who acted as a thorn in the side of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) during his battle to become speaker of the House, sees the appeal of serving in statewide office. “There’s a great sense of teamwork among Republican attorneys general across the country in taking on national fights to resist administrative overreach [and] keep the administration within its bounds and protect the rights and freedoms of Americans,” he said in an interview with the Washington Examiner.
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Further, he said, “In North Carolina, it presents an opportunity to consolidate Republican governance, much as Ron DeSantis has accomplished in Florida.”
Bishop also said he believes the office is a better fit for him because he had practiced law for 29 years prior to entering Congress.
He explained that the attorney general’s office “has about 800 employees,” adding that “there’s a great deal of potential in the office to be deployed.”
As a state senator in 2016, Bishop spearheaded House Bill 2, which was nicknamed the “Bathroom Bill.” Among other things, the measure required people to use public restrooms that aligned with their biological sex. The law was considered controversial and made headlines nationally. It further prompted companies and celebrities to cancel events and projects in the state in protest.
Asked if addressing the transgender issues, which have gained more national prominence since the bill’s signing in 2016, would be a priority for him as attorney general, he said, “I’ve never backed away from that law.”
In 2017, Gov. Roy Cooper (D-NC) signed legislation rolling back the measure.
“I think time has borne us out,” Bishop said. “You’ve seen even more insane policy around that issue, to the point that you see children being maimed and deformed, before they’re even of age of consent.”
“You see unfairness and potential destruction of women’s athletics. I think we were on the right track when we said hold on,” he continued.
As to whether it’s a specific priority, he said, “I’m going to enforce everybody’s rights and protect everybody’s freedoms as attorney general. Let’s put it that way.”
Another issue he looks forward to addressing if elected is censorship by large technology entities. He explained that “attorneys general have been the guys leading that fight.”
He pointed to Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) and Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, who he noted “brought the litigation in which the United States district judge has entered in an injunction against the entire federal enterprise saying that they’ve been coercing social media posts to censor the posts of Americans — and that it’s the biggest attack on the First Amendment ever.”
Bishop said he would be eager to be involved in that issue and other similar matters, reiterating the importance of keeping “the federal government within its bounds.”
All in all, the congressman explained, “what I’m doing is a continuation of the fight to save the country and to see to it that government responds to the wishes and desires of the American people.”
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According to Bishop, everyone is called to “keep working to find the place where they can serve most effectively and accomplish the most, because simply passing time and appearing to act but really not doing anything will not get the job done anymore.”
Other announced candidates for the office include Republican state Rep. Tom Murry and two Democrats, Tim Dunn and Charles Ingram. The state’s party primaries will take place in March 2024.