Meadows trounces Patterson in 11th District runoff *Updated with video*

Photo by Max Cooper

Mark Meadows routed Vance Patterson in the 11th Congressional District Republican runoff election.

The Cashiers real-estate developer won 76 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results from the North Carolina State Board of Elections tallied July 17.

Meadows’ second primary victory earns him the opportunity to battle Democrat Hayden Rogers for the U.S. House seat in November. The 11th District was redrawn last year to exclude most of Asheville, making it the most conservative political turf in the state.

In an election night speech to jubilant supporters at the Hampton Inn in Fletcher, Meadows thanked campaign staff and volunteers, but left his biggest praise for God.

“I want to give God the glory. I was OK with whatever the outcome was, because I knew he was in control and I wasn’t,” said Meadows. “2012 will be a great year for this country, for the people of WNC. Because we’re going to fight and reclaim America the way that God intended to and the way our founding fathers knew that the Constitution would preserve.”

He also sought to portray Rogers as a Washington insider and tie him to President Barack Obama and the national Democratic Party. Rogers previously worked as incumbent Democratic Rep. Heath Shuler’s chief of staff.

“Hayden’s been up there for six years learning the Washington way,” Meadows asserted. “You can’t distance yourself from the president’s party but go up and vote with him in Washington D.C.”

Despite the conservative demographics of the district and growing support from the national GOP establishment, Meadows also sought to cast his campaign as the underdog against Rogers.

“We are going up against the Rogers–Obama, well oiled, well organized, well funded, machine. And you know what we’ve got to do is be better organized,” he maintained. “You know what we’ve got that he doesn’t have? We’ve got a voice of the people and a grassroots support that no one can equal.”

Meanwhile, the Rogers campaign released a statement congratulating Meadows on the runoff victory.

“However,” Rogers added, “there is a profound difference between who we are; our background, leadership ability, and vision for Western North Carolina and this great nation. I am eager to illustrate those differences to the people of the 11th District and look forward to a spirited and informative campaign.” 

Watch the video of Meadows’ July 17 remarks to supporters:

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About Jake Frankel
Jake Frankel is an award-winning journalist who enjoys covering a wide range of topics, from politics and government to business, education and entertainment.

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7 thoughts on “Meadows trounces Patterson in 11th District runoff *Updated with video*

  1. bsummers

    “I want to give God the glory. I was OK with whatever the outcome was, because I knew he was in control and I wasn’t,”

    Clearly, God hates this Patterson guy. He better watch out that God doesn’t smite him for daring to run against his chosen vessel. Oh wait – Patterson is $330,000 in the hole for this? Too late. Smote!

    “Because we’re going to fight and reclaim America the way that God intended to”

    Thank the Heavens! Finally, a spokesperson for God, who will tell us what He intended.

  2. sestevens

    Well, this sucks a little. I don’t suppose there’s any point in writing and asking him to try and be conservative instead of Republican, is there?

  3. Dionysis

    Can I get a witness? I am so imbued with Jesus fever that I want to convert…NOW!!!

  4. mat catastrophe

    “Because we’re going to fight and reclaim America the way that God intended to”

    He actually *SAID* this?

    I do not believe that there should be religious tests for civil service and I do not think that religious people should be precluded from public service…..

    But, seriously….

    Just f*$&@$*#@ seriously.

  5. Dionysis

    “nothing wrong with it is there?”

    No, if one believes that there is “nothing wrong” with saying the moon is made of green cheese, that the world was built literally in six days and that Santa Claus was real.

    (1)The Founding Fathers (those deists that actually created this secular nation) were deeply suspicious of organized religion, particularly Christianity.

    (2)The statement assumes that our very diverse country, which includes many different religious and philosophical beliefs, is somehow the products of the divine hand of one particular (and relatively young) religion.

    (3) It assumes (without a shred of logic) that somehow the country was on the ‘right’ track before the last election (evidently meaning God supports enriching the rich even more, destroying the environment, suppressing and reducing individual liberties, racking up massive deficits and so forth), but now the country is off-track, and

    (4) That this guy somehow has a direct pipeline to ‘God’s will’.

    No, not a thing wrong with that statement, other than its inherit absurdity.

  6. bsummers

    If I were a conservative Christian, I would be most worried about how politicians tying themselves to my religion would screw it up. This is a major component behind the “separation of Church and State” that we forget – the early Puritans saw the mainstream religions of Europe become amoral and greedy, because they were so tightly affiliated with amoral and greedy governments.

    Jesus said, “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.”

    Current Conservative Christian Republican Politicians say, “We can’t afford foodstamps for the poor, but at the same time, oddly enough, we need to cut taxes on the very very wealthy.”

    And they prevail on church hierarchical authorities to push that “starve the poor, feed the rich” mantra down on their flocks, who then dutifully go out & vote for politicians who promise to starve the poor. And don’t get me started on the loving Christian message of war for wars sake…

    How many tiny cuts to the spiritual and moral core of Christianity can it survive?

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