Capitol riot leads former Republican to run for Senate, but NC law will make it tough
A lifelong Republican’s decision to change party affiliations following the Capitol riot has evolved into a run for U.S. Senate.
Kimrey Rhinehardt, 46, of Chatham County, has begun the process of getting her name added to the 2022 ballot as an independent candidate.
“Arriving at this moment has been a very incremental process,” Rhinehardt said. “It all started with the posting on my social media that I’m the newest unaffiliated voter in North Carolina.”
Rhinehardt said she didn’t expect much to come from that tweet.
But as time went on, she garnered praise from followers, media attention and subsequent support from those reading her story. From there she decided that it wasn’t too much of a stretch to run for the seat of U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, a Republican who employed Rhinehardt on Capitol Hill while he served in Congress and who is not seeking reelection.
Rhinehardt is now one of six candidates vying for Burr’s seat. Democrats running are state Sen. Jeff Jackson, former state Sen. Erica Smith and Richard Watkins, a virologist and founder of The Science Policy Action Network. Former U.S. Rep. Mark Walker, a Republican, and Libertarian Shannon Bray also announced.
Rhinehardt has a political background, having worked on Capitol Hill as a staffer for the Senate and House. She started her career at the Charlotte Housing Authority and has served as vice president of federal relations for the UNC System. She’s now a faculty member at UNC-Wilmington. She is also the founder of Gray Zone Strategies, a strategic consulting firm.
Gathering petition signatures
Running as an unaffiliated candidate comes with a different playbook.
Before Rhinehardt finds her name on the ballot she must collect 84,000 signatures from supporters in North Carolina.
And doing that in a pandemic comes with unique challenges.
“It would be irresponsible for us to go door-to-door and ask someone to sign a petition,” Rhinehardt said. “I think what we’re going to do initially is have a web landing page where we can direct people who say they want to support us.”
Then her team can follow up as they figure out a way to collect the signature while minimizing contact.
Rhinehardt said she understands the challenges ahead of her to run unaffiliated.
But she believes her need to withdraw from a single party resonates with other people, she said. She continues to read about members of both major parties becoming unaffiliated and being disgusted with the two-party system.
For Rhinehardt, watching the attack on the Capitol by extremist supporters of then-President Donald Trump and hearing the blame being put at the feet of Republicans was enough for her to change.
“I felt like I had no political home,” Rhinehardt said. “I think I’m on a mission to create one. Not just for me but people who feel the same that I do.”
Finding success
Rhinehardt said she would measure the success of her race on two things: winning and bringing people together.
Beyond her hope to win, Rhinehardt said finding a place for people who feel they can’t speak, be heard or be part of something that represents who they are would be a strong secondary achievement.
“I think the entire country is struggling with this issue,” Rhinehardt said. “I’d like for our state to be an exemplar of how we are navigating this political climate.”
New voices
Rhinehardt said her campaign will be about “finding new voices and offering better choices” to North Carolinians.
She said she has always been driven by learning from others, understanding their beliefs and finding solutions for everybody.
As she gathers signatures, Rhinehardt said, she also plans to learn about her supporters’ opinions and needs and to bring those forward.
Rhinehardt said she and Burr share common beliefs. But she also said she was in “lockstep” with former UNC President Erskine Bowles on many issues when she worked for Bowles, a Democrat who also served as White House chief of staff for Bill Clinton.
She said her beliefs and values have also evolved since working under either of the men.
Rhinehardt said she hopes she can gain traction with members of both parties by building trust that she will look out for their best interests.
One of the driving factors in her decision to run was reading an article last week that said people go to the ballot box to vote against candidates. She wants to bring people together to vote for someone they support, believe in and trust to do the right thing.
“I’m not willing to sit on the sidelines anymore and talk about it,” Rhinehardt said. “I’m ready to stand up and do something about it.”
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