NORTH CAROLINA (LOOTPRESS) – Former West Virginia state senator Richard Ojeda has announced his candidacy for North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District, aiming to unseat Republican incumbent Richard Hudson.
Ojeda, a Democrat and former Logan County resident, served in the West Virginia State Senate from 2016 to 2019.
He later ran for Congress in West Virginia’s 3rd Congressional District, securing the Democratic nomination but losing to Republican Congresswoman Carol Miller, 56% to 44%.
Following his congressional defeat, Ojeda briefly launched a bid for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination but withdrew early due to insufficient funding.
Now a North Carolina resident, Ojeda is setting his sights on the 9th Congressional District, which Hudson has represented since 2022.
The district spans south-central North Carolina, encompassing all of Alamance, Hoke, Moore, and Randolph counties, as well as portions of Chatham, Cumberland, and Guilford counties—including most of Fayetteville and a small section of Greensboro.
Ojeda gained national attention for his outspoken support of West Virginia educators during the 2018 teachers’ strike.
He also made headlines as a Democrat who voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election.