Desperate times, desperate actions, but will this end actually justify the means? A candidate running in the congressional primary for district 14 in North Carolina, Kate Barr, admitted that although she was running as a Republican, she was not a true party member.
“I’m not a real Republican. I’m telling people the truth,” Barr disclosed in a video posted on X. She shared that she would knock on doors and come directly to the people with the truth. The fake Republican candidate gave her reasons. “Because that is where the actual competition happens in our gerrymandered district.” Barr stated, “We gotta [expletive] win right now, because we are in an emergency, like a democratic emergency.” The NC-14 candidate concluded by saying that she was certain she could only win that way, “as a fake Republican.”
The transparency did not sway many netizens. In fact, some saw it as a criminal act. “Can we sue for false advertisement if elected?” one asked, “If a manufacturer says a product is one thing, and then it is something else completely, they are liable. The only difference is their ‘product’ is public participation,” they added. “The people should be able to sue for election fraud when candidates say one thing then do another entirely,” a second one wrote, echoing the former’s sentiments. “‘An emergency’, so we have to lie, cheat & steal,” another netizen wrote.
One X user pointed out, “Look, if you don’t vet your candidates, this is the kind of stuff that can happen.” Another chimed in, “Republican voters will vote for any name that has an ‘R’ after without even knowing what they are actually voting for.” Some users lamented, “How is this even allowed? She should be removed as a candidate immediately,” one said. “They have ZERO integrity. ‘We can’t win with our ideas, so we have to play games to get what we want,‘” another wrote.
“She admits it on camera. Does she really think she’s going to win?” a netizen wondered. “People must be wise and not be fooled by wolves in sheep’s clothing!” another stated bluntly. Still, some netizens were not only not surprised but also defended the candidate, saying it had been in practice for a long time.
“This is not ‘breaking’; it has been happening for a while. She has been open & intentional about why she is in the race. It is the only place for competition due to the nature of the district,” one wrote. “I understand the outrage, but candidates often adapt to the landscape. Instead of questioning motives, I would rather admire her commitment to changing the maps of North Carolina. The goal sounds like something everyone can get behind,” another said. A last one noted, “Even the Republicans are Democrats in Colorado. This is nothing new.”
