CHARLOTTE, N.C. — President Trump will attend an event Friday to raise money for two Republicans running for Congress in the Charlotte area.
The fundraiser is at the Carmel Country Club around noon. It will benefit Mark Harris who is running the for North Carolina's 9th district and Ted Budd who is running for N.C.'s 13th district. Harris knocked off veteran incumbent congressman Robert Pittenger in the primary back in May.
The fundraising event is private; Trump has not scheduled a public rally.
Political science professor Eric Heberlig of UNC Charlotte said that is not a surprise.
“It is fairly early in the race. The public relations has not kicked in. We haven’t had any ads. What they should be doing is fundraising,” Heberlig said.
Dan McCready is the Democratic candidate running against Harris. McCready is starting his first television ad blitz with an ad portraying him as a combat veteran, small businessman and family man.
That is exactly the kind of resume Pennsylvania Democrat Connor Lamb ran on when he won a special election in deep red Trump country earlier this year.
Harris is a former Baptist minister who has been quoted as preaching that women should be submitting to their husbands.
Asked how evangelicals could continue to support Trump after revelations of alleged payoffs to a stripper and former Playmate, Heberlig said most people made up their minds long ago about Trump's personal life.
“I’m not sure that public opinions will be affected much even for evangelicals who you’d think would be more sensitive to a morality issue like this," said Heberlig.