RALEIGH (AP) — Former congressional aide Richard Hudson won the Republican nomination in North Carolina’s 8th Congressional District, which includes part of Rowan County, in Tuesday’s primary runoff.
Hudson captured 64 percent of the vote in defeating Scott Keadle, a dentist and former Iredell County Commissioner.
Hudson will face incumbent Democrat Larry Kissell in November. Kissell has held the seat since 2008 when he unseated Republican Robin Hayes of Concord, who employed Hudson as his congressional aide.
Hudson said he’s looking forward to taking on the incumbent in a district that was redrawn to favor Republicans in last year’s redistricting process. Kissell, a former textile worker and school teacher, recently voted with Republicans to hold Attorney General Eric Holden in contempt of Congress and said he would vote to repeal the Obama administration’s health reform law.
“Larry Kissell is one who has not represented this district well over the last four years. We deserve a congressman who will represent their values 100 percent of the time, not just when it’s convenient,” said Hudson, 40, of Concord.
The 8th District runoff was required because none of the candidates in May primary landed at least 40 percent of the vote.
The Republican runoff featured an influx of outside money from political action committees and celebrity endorsements.
Keadle and Hudson competed for the title of most conservative throughout the primary and accused the other of being an outsider.
“Obviously, I’m disappointed,” Keadle told the Salisbury Post. “But I want to thank all my supporters, and I want to thank all those who are working in the conservative movement. I want them to know I will continue to work for conservative policy.”
The 8th District stretches from Charlotte’s eastern suburbs east along the South Carolina border through some of the state’s poorest counties.
In other Republican congressional runoffs, real estate investor Mark Meadows beat Vance Patterson in the state’s 11th Congressional District and real estate investor and former state senator Robert Pittenger beat Mecklenburg County Commissioner and former sheriff James Pendergraph in the 9th District.
In the mountainous and rural 17-county 11th District, Meadows faces Democrat Hayden Rogers, the former chief of staff for Heath Shuler, who decided not to run for re-election.
Pittenger takes on Democrat Jennifer Roberts in November for the right to succeed retiring GOP U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick in the 9th District, which covers portions of Mecklenburg, Union and Iredell counties.

U.S. House District 8 GOP runoff
240 of 241 precincts — 99 percent
Richard Hudson 10,613
Scott Keadle 6,042