U.S. House of Representatives District 10 includes Iredell, Catawba, Lincoln, Yadkin and part of Forsyth Counties. According to the N.C. State Board of Elections data, the district is 27% Democrat, 37% Republican and 35% unaffiliated. This seat is currently held by Patrick McHenry, who has served ten terms in Congress and announced in December 2023 that he is retiring. Four candidates are vying for the role, including Republican Pat Harrigan, who is endorsed by Donald Trump and won a competitive primary in March against Grey Mills.
Republican Pat Harrigan
Harrigan is a self-identified “Green Beret, businessman, and a dedicated husband and father.” Harrigan previously ran for Congressional District 14 in 2022 and lost to Jeff Jackson. He is the owner of a firearms manufacturing company. According to his campaign website, Harrigan is dedicated to curbing inflation, eliminating wasteful government spending, securing the border, and cracking down on violent crime. He is running for office because he “could no longer stand idly by and watch our country deteriorate economically, socially, morally, and spiritually at the hands of failed leadership achieving failed outcomes.” He is a graduate of West Point, where he majored in nuclear engineering. Harrigan currently has an address in Hickory where he lives with his wife, Rocky and two young daughters Reagan and McKinley. Previous news articles have him residing in Gastonia and Charlotte. (Age ~36)
Democrat Ralph R. Scott Jr.
Scott is an Air Force veteran, father, grandfather and sixth great-grandson of James Madison. According to his campaign website, God, family, and individual rights are the three pillars he would like to focus on. He emphasizes respecting everyone’s individual beliefs, hopes to raise the child tax deduction to the same as an adult for families making $100,000 or less per year, and is a proponent of letting the people vote on issues such as abortion and gun rights during presidential election years. Additionally, Scott hopes to increase accessible educational opportunities and community engagement initiatives for the people of Iredell County. He has been a long-time resident of Catawba County, and he currently lives in Statesville. (Age ~66)
Libertarian Steven Feldman
Feldman is a self-described "world-renowned dermatology expert, relative of Holocaust survivors, and author." According to his campaign website, Feldman’s three guiding principles are working together toward common goals, having the military defend but not direct, and leading “our children a country that is fiscally strong, at peace at home and abroad, and leads by example.” Additionally, Feldman hopes to improve the rural healthcare gap and publicly voices his opposition to maintaining Israel’s apartheid. He is on the board of directors of Voices for Justice in Palestine, and he founded Promised Land, an online Jewish museum that gives context on conflict between Palestinians and the Israeli government. Having received his M.D. and Ph.D. from Duke University’s School of Medicine, he is a Professor of Dermatology, Pathology, & Public Health Sciences at Wake Forest University, as well as a senior advisor at Sensal Health. Feldman has lived in North Carolina for over 40 years, and he is married with two adult sons. (Age ~65)