The two candidates for North Carolina’s 14th Congressional District join us today: Democrat Jeff Jackson and Republican Pat Harrigan. Their differences will certainly be clear, but they also have something in common: Both served in Afghanistan.
The 14th is a new district that covers southern Mecklenburg and much of Gaston County, stretching roughly from Matthews to Kings Mountain. It’s a district that leans blue but is no gimme for Democrats. It’s also a district that’s expected to be redrawn for the 2024 election.
Pat Harrigan grew up in California and Wyoming before heading to West Point. He graduated with a degree in nuclear engineering and served 18 months in Afghanistan. He moved to North Carolina to complete his Special Forces training. Harrigan and his wife now run a company in Burke County that manufactures handguns and semiautomatic, military-style rifles. He says the U.S.’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan helped inspire him to run for Congress.
Like his opponent, Jeff Jackson of Mecklenburg County is an Army veteran who served in Afghanistan. He’s now a major in the North Carolina National Guard.
Jackson represented Mecklenburg County in the state Senate since 2014. He’s also an attorney in Charlotte.
