NC District 9 GOP Candidate Rundown

Cover Image

WBT will be hosting a debate for the GOP candidates on May 7, just one week before the May 14 primary election for N.C.'s District 9 Congressional seat. We've put together some vital background information on each candidate. To get tickets to the debate click here. 

 

CHRIS ANGLIN

Chris is a resident of Raleigh and is a managing partner of a law firm. He ran for the state Supreme Court last year after having switched his political affiliation from Democrat to Republican. Chris earned his law degree from Elon and his undergraduate degree from Wake Forest, where he majored in political science.

DAN BISHOP

Dan, a lawyer by trade, is currently a North Carolina State Senator, representing District 39 in southern Mecklenburg County. Prior to re-election in last year, he served one term in the state’s House of Representatives from 2015-2017. Dan also served two terms as a Mecklenburg County commissioner. Dan was the author of the well-known HB2 Bill, otherwise called “The Bathroom Bill.” He is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill and is married to Jo Bishop. They have one child.

LEIGH BROWN

Leigh is the owner of a prominent and widespread real estate firm in Concord, and is running for public office for the second time. She was a candidate for District 82 in the North Carolina House of Representatives in 2014. Leigh has is a best-selling author, with her book, ‘The 7 Deadly Sins of Sales’ reaching No. 1 on Amazon. She also serves on the board of directors for the N.C. Housing Finance Agency. Leigh is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill and is married to Steve Brown. They have a daughter and a son.  

KATHIE DAY

Kathie is a resident of Cornelius, and has worked in the real estate industry for 29 years.

GARY DUNN

Gary has lived in Charlotte nearly his entire life and has entered as a candidate in many elections. He ran for mayor of Charlotte in as a Democrat in 1993 and 2013, before running as a Republican in 2017. He also ran for governor as a Republican in 1992 and as a Democrat in 2012. Gary worked for more than three decades in his family’s manufacturing company. He is a graduate of Central Piedmont Community College.  

STEVIE RIVENBARK

Stevie is a native of North Carolina and lives in Fayetteville. After surviving a well-known car accident that involved the death of drag racers, Stevie chose to enter public service. This is her first-ever election. She is a manager of a medical device company and a graduate of UNC-Wilmington and earned her master’s degree at Liberty University. She is a single mother of two children, one of which has Autism.

MATTHEW RIDENHOUR

Matthew is a native of Charlotte and works for a financial technology firm after having served 11 years as a Marine, where he did two tours in Iraq. Matthew served three terms as a Mecklenburg County commissioner until 2018. Matthew is a graduate of American InterContinental University. He is married to Abby and they have two children.

STONY RUSHING

Stony is a Union County commissioner, where he’s served since 2014. He also served as commissioner from 2002-2006. Stony is the owner a shooting range, where he concealed carry, hunter education and firearms safety. He is a graduate of N.C. State University. Stoney is married to Anne-Marie Rushing and they have two children.

FERN SHUBERT

Fern owns her own CPA office and lives in Marshville. She served as a state representative from 1994-1998, and again from 2000-2002. She was also a state Senator from 2002-2004. Fern ran for governor in 2004 and for the state senate again in 2010. She has also served as town manager in Indian Trail and Marshville. Fern is a graduate of Duke University. Fern and her husband Jerry have two children.

ALBERT LEE WILEY, JR.

Albert is a physician and resident of Salter Path in the Outer Banks. He is a leading expert in helping victims of exposure to radiation. He has ran for public office numerous times, including most recently in for the District 10 Congressional seat this past year. He earned a degree in nuclear engineering from N.C. State, his medical degree from the University of Rochester and his doctorate in radiological science and nuclear engineering from the University of Wisconsin. He and his wife Janet have four children.