Trump Republican Battles Obama Democrat in NC-1

With barely three weeks to go before the voting, few, if any, pundits in North Carolina are willing to say whether Trump Republican Sandy Smith or centrist Democrat and State Sen. Donald Davis is the frontrunner in the state's 1st District.

But one conclusion on which there is near-universal agreement is that the Smith-Davis contest is easily the hardest-fought of any of the races in North Carolina's 13 U.S. House districts.

The reason is the controversy that seems to have been a constant companion to Smith, whose Twitter account characterizes her as a "Proud USMC [U.S. Marine Corps] Mom & Business Owner," who is "#ProTrump, #ProVets, #ProWall, #Pro2nd, #ProLife, #MAGA."

Two years ago, Smith drew a surprisingly strong 45% against Democrat Rep. G.K. Butterfield. With Butterfield announcing his retirement this year, 1st District Democrats handily gave their nomination to his fellow centrist Davis. Butterfield and Davis, both Black, are considered centrist Democrats in the mold of former President Barack Obama.

U.S. Air Force Academy graduate and educator Davis, 51, has emphasized his record of working with Republicans on the Senate Agriculture and Appropriations Committees and previously as mayor of Snow Hill, North Carolina.

In overcoming seven Republican primary opponents this year, Smith ran as an outspoken supporter of Donald Trump — who, surprisingly, did not endorse her until after she became their party's nominee.

Last month, Smith was hit with charges of domestic violence from two former husbands as well as her daughter. A TV spot paid for by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) pointed out that in 2012, Smith's daughter filed a domestic protection petition against her mother charging that she "pushed and shoved me, she slapped me, pulled my hair, pulled me to the ground, and sat on me" after she had refused Smith's suggestion she enlist in the military.

After a week, however, the then-teenaged daughter withdrew the petition. Smith says they have reconciled and denounced the attacks as "fake news" by the "[House Speaker Nancy] Pelosi-run DCCC."

The charges of abuse by her former husbands were initially brought up before the May primary in TV spots by her former Republican nomination opponent. These include accusations that she had tried to run over one of them with her car and had tried to hit one with a frying pan. Smith has denied all the charges and said she and her children were victims of domestic violence.

"She also promised to take a frying pan to Congress," reported WRAL Radio News.

John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.