13th District Convention held on April 22, 2024 

 

Democratic delegates to the 13th Congressional District convention gather April 20 at the courthouse in Smithfield, NC.

 

HIGHLIGHTS of the Convention

Kiani Gardner of Harnett County was one of three men and three women elected April 20 to represent voters of the 13th Congressional District at the Democratic National Convention in August.

The fabled DNC event in Chicago will be Aug. 19-22. The event will be where President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will be nominated to represent the Democratic Party in the November 2024 election.

Ms. Gardner was chosen by delegates who attended the 13th Congressional District convention on April 20 in Smithfield. The delegates represented Democrats living in Johnston County and parts of Harnett, Wake and Wayne counties. The 13th district is currently represented by U.S. Rep. Wiley Nichol, a Democrat who was elected in 2023.

Legislators redrew the district map to favor Republicans, which prompted a legal challenge. “They threw all the black people out of the district when they redrew District 13,” said convention organizer Rhonda Bond.

The gerrymander also impelled Nichol to decline to seek re-election in 2024, choosing instead to seek a seat in the U.S. Senate.

Replacing Nichol as the Democratic candidate is Frank Pierce, who addressed conventioneers in Smithfield on Saturday.  “My district is winnable,” Pierce said. “All I need is your vote.”

Pierce said his campaign has knocked on 22,371 doors and mailed 5,000 postcards. “Our goal is to make everyone part of this campaign” he said. “But voting is the key. We can make a difference.”

Information about Pierce can be obtained at frankpierce4congress.com.

Frank Pierce, 13th Congressional District Democratic candidate in Smithfield on April 20.

 

Attending the 13th district convention as representatives of Harnett County were: State Rep. Dist. 53 candidate Kevin Thurman, State Senate Dist. 12 candidate Tonya White Anderson, Dist. 3 County commission candidate Scott Daniel, Kiani Gardner, Grace Watts, Sally Benson, Katie Kinard, Grant and Tonya Gibson, Rebekah Brock and Richard Chapman.