CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Air Force Two touched down in the Queen City Friday, as Vice President Mike Pence was scheduled to speak at an event with local Republican politicians looking to gain support ahead of the upcoming primary election.
The vice president made two appearances in North Carolina, starting with a stop in Greensboro for a private fundraiser before he made his way to Charlotte to join a panel discussion on tax cuts and how they can impact families here in the Carolinas.
Pence arrived in Charlotte around 3:30 p.m. for the event. Congressman Robert Pittenger also spoke at the event, looking to hold onto supporters in his district. With early voting underway, political experts said the race was one Republicans are watching closely because it’s one of the most competitive battles in North Carolina.
“The National Republican Party is pulling out all the stops to make sure that Pittenger gets over the finish line here,” said one political expert.
Pittenger and Pence appeared on stage together at the Park Expo and Conference Center for a discussion on tax cuts, with the GOP relying on Pence’s power to draw support from area voters ahead of May 8 primary.
On the Democratic side, Dan McCready has raised more funding than Pittenger and Christian Cano, with a Pittenger-McCready showdown likely in North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District.