The leader of the North Carolina House Freedom Caucus is facing a primary challenger backed by one of his fellow lawmakers.
Freedom Caucus Chairman Keith Kidwell is seeking a fifth term representing four coastal counties in the state House (Beaufort, Dare, Hyde and Pamlico). He's now facing a Republican primary challenger, Beaufort County farmer Darren Armstrong.
Kidwell says Armstrong was recruited by Republican Rep. Jimmy Dixon of nearby Duplin County, who chairs the House agriculture committee. He shared a text in which Dixon told him about the plan. "I have identified and I am going to support Darren Armstrong to file and run in the Republican primary for N.C. House District 79," Dixon wrote in the text message.
While the text doesn't explain Dixon's reasoning for backing Kidwell's opponent, Kidwell says the dispute stems from his opposition to a proposal in the farm bill that would have protected chemical pesticide companies from lawsuits. Supporters of that measure argued the companies need protection from frivolous lawsuits, but critics like Kidwell said it would put a high burden on farmers and others who are harmed by pesticides.
"They would have been protected retroactively and in perpetuity from you suing them, and I did not feel that that's something that should have happened," Kidwell told WUNC. "So Jimmy got mad at me for that, and went and dug up a primary opponent for me."
The farm bill passed the Senate in June but has been parked in the House Rules Committee ever since. Kidwell says it remains a sore subject. "Jimmy's out there peddling his story that I didn't ever work for the farmers and haven't done anything for the farmers, when, in fact I've done as much as I could for the farmers," he said.
Armstrong has served as chairman of the U.S. Grains Council and has been a leader of the Corn Growers Association of North Carolina. He's on the Beaufort County Community College board as an appointee of N.C. Senate leaders. Multiple attempts to reach Armstrong for this story were unsuccessful.
Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler is also campaigning for Armstrong, appearing at his campaign kickoff event in December. Kidwell says Senate leader Phil Berger is also backing his opponent, although a Berger spokesman denied that claim. Kidwell has been at odds with Berger over a number of issues, including a proposed ban on shrimp trawling and proposed new casinos.
Kidwell says the primary challenge will limit his ability to campaign for Freedom Caucus candidates elsewhere in the state.
"Normally I would be out there working for Freedom Caucus members as well as general Republican candidates to make sure we get the right people across the line," he said. "Now I'll obviously have to be at home fighting the battle here that is unnecessary."
Kidwell said other top issues in the district include affordable workforce housing and beach erosion in Dare County, regulations on shrimpers and commercial fishing, rural broadband infrastructure and economic development.
