It was a special election all right -- and not just for North Carolina's Dan Bishop (R). For everyone counting out conservatives, Tuesday's race was as much about debunking the media's lies as giving Republicans two more fighters in the House.
For months, liberals have insisted two things: that Donald Trump isn't popular and privacy bills will cost you. They were wrong on both counts. After a roller-coaster campaign, the sponsor of North Carolina's H.B. 2 is the latest conservative to prove -- not only that the president's influence matters -- but that Americans still believe in common-sense legislation that protects women and children. The FRC Action-endorsed Bishop had been outspent, outpolled, and until recently, outnumbered. That all changed in the last several weeks, as the state senator fought his way back -- closing the gap with his conservative message and stealing an election the press had bet against him.
After Tuesday's win, which was punctuated for Republicans by a less competitive 3rd District victory by Greg Murphy, Bishop credited the president for helping him cross the finish line. "[Trump] was a tremendous help," he insisted. "We really only were competitive in terms of funding for about six weeks." He's right. Democrat Dan McCready's allies had poured $4.7 million on the campaign to Bishop's $1.9. "So the president and the vice president stepping in and committing the way they did to this race was tremendous."
When President Trump held a rally in Fayetteville on Monday, he said the race was North Carolina's chance to send a clear message to the America-hating Left." And send one they did, rejecting the socialist and open borders agenda of McCready and lining up behind a man that many said never had a chance. After months of hearing that he would pay for his strong stance on H.B. 2, his courage on a bill that would keep biological men out of girls' showers, bathrooms, and locker rooms wasn't the liability liberals had hoped.
The same turned out to be true in May, when Dan beat out a crowded field to win the Republican primary. Maybe now, Democrats will finally get the message on their social extremism. Since 2016, the Left's prophecies of doom over bathroom bills have never materialized. How long will they trot out this tired argument in the face of success stories like North Carolina (#1), Texas (#3), and Georgia (#6), who continue to top Forbes's Best States for Business List despite high-profile campaigns for religious liberty, privacy, and life? In Bishop's state, where the fiercest bathroom fight ever took place, the outlook has never been rosier. "Job growth and gross state product growth are expected to rank among the strongest in the country over the next five years," Forbes argues. "As for all of those people moving out of the state because it dared to protect women and children? "The population is growing twice as fast as the U.S. average..."
Congratulations to Dan -- and every leader willing to stand up for the freedom and safety of their states! It's not just the right platform, it's a winning one.
