“I need her help in Washington to work together to defeat ISIS, secure our border and bring back jobs,” said Trump in the calls.
But despite the helping hand from the nominal leader of the GOP, Ellmers was defeated Tuesday night by R-George Holding, former representative of District 13, a large fraction of which was drawn into the current District 2 during redistricting earlier this year, by a margin of 29% of the vote.
Many scholars predicted the shift in ideological makeup of the NC congressional delegation as a result of redistricting in April, as illustrated by Ellmers’ loss. She was backed by Tea Party groups during her initial campaign.
“A state full of districts that are drawn to be to the narrow district advantage of the majority party means that what seem like small shifts on a local level can really have a quite dramatic impact,” said Mark Nance, a political science professor at North Carolina State University.
Leading up to Tuesday night’s election, Ellmers faced substantial spending against her by more traditionally conservative outside groups.
The political advocacy group Americans for Prosperity, owned by Charles and David Koch, spent over $200,000 against Ellmers.
For the first time ever, the Susan B. Anthony List, a group dedicated to electing anti-abortion women to Congress, endorsed a man, opting to support Ellmers’ opponent.
“Congressman Holding has been a faithful advocate for the sanctity of life, as evidenced by his excellent voting record, as well as his work and relationships with other champions of life,” said the List in a statement.
