Republican Rep. Dan Bishop of North Carolina will not seek reelection to Congress in 2024, instead opting to run for state attorney general, he announced on a local radio show Thursday morning.
“To have the news break that, in fact, I’m going to be a candidate, to come home in North Carolina and seek the spot of attorney general, and do that on WBT radio, I can’t think of a better place,” said Bishop, who was elected to Congress in a 2019 special election.
His decision not to seek reelection to the 8th District will create an open seat in a district that former President Donald Trump would have carried by 34 points in 2020, however North Carolina’s map is expected to be redrawn this year.
Bishop, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, leaned into his legal background and support for law enforcement in explaining his interest in running for attorney general.
“I’ve practiced law for almost 30 years. I was a serious lawyer, still am. And I miss that as part of my life, and I think it’s a particular time to reinforce support for prosecutors and front-line law enforcement officers,” Bishop said.
“I think there’s an opportunity to use the influence of that office to restore law and order to our cities like Asheville, in particular, Charlotte, and some others,” Bishop added.
Charles Ingram and Tim Dunn are declared Democrats running for North Carolina attorney general – an office that has historically been held by elected Democrats. Bishop joins Tom Murry in running for the office on the Republican side.
“With so much at stake in 2024, and democracy itself on the line, North Carolinians cannot afford to have Dan Bishop serving as our state’s chief law enforcement officer,” North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton said in a statement.
CORRECTION: This story has been updated to reflect Bishop’s current congressional district and Trump’s margin there in 2020.
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