Citing Jan. 6 attack on Capitol, a coastal NC mayor joins the Senate race

Rett Newton said he was quite happy being the mayor of a small coastal North Carolina town and completing his work toward a PhD in marine sciences.

At least he was before this year’s deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol inspired him to run for U.S. Senate.

“I was just deeply and profoundly affected by what happened on January the sixth and the subsequent impeachment hearings,” Newton said Tuesday in a video interview. “Just having that sinking feeling. As I watched it was just disbelief that this could be happening in our country.”

Newton, a retired Air Force colonel, announced his candidacy Tuesday morning, becoming the fourth Democrat to officially declare for the race to replace retiring Republican Richard Burr.

In his campaign launch video, Newton described the events of the day as a “domestic terror attack in the house of our democracy.” He said in an interview that Republican votes to not certify the election results in Arizona and Pennsylvania “without any evidence of voter fraud, to me, that was a betrayal of the Constitution and of their oath of office.”

Newton, 60, grew up in Beaufort. He played college basketball on scholarship at Campbell University in Buies Creek. After graduation, he went to Air Force officer training school and then to pilot training. He was an F-15 squadron commander on Sept. 11, 2001, and heard rules of engagement that called for potentially shooting down a civilian airliner.

He references 9/11 in his campaign launch video, which also includes quick images of potential Republican opponents Lara Trump and Mark Walker as well as U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn, a Walker endorser. All three are strong supporters of former President Donald Trump.

“I am in this race because our democracy is under attack and certainly the Trump family, Trump supporters are part of that attack on our democracy,” Newton said. “So yes, we can provide a stark contrast to the Trump family and those Trump supporters.”

Newton was elected mayor in 2017, and his second two-year term ends in December. During his tenure as mayor, Newton said he has had personal experience with the effects of climate change. Beaufort has been working to clean up marine debris, and Newton built and flew drones to capture the magnitude of the problem in Beaufort and Carteret County.

It led him to work all over the world with the Duke University Marine Lab, located in Beaufort, using drones to study marine life. His father previously served as marine superintendent at the lab.

“We can and we should protect our environment. This is good, not only for public health, but it’s also good for commerce. We see that people want to come to a clean-water coastal community so there’s not that friction that some people talk about,” Newton said. “Having a clean environment is good for everybody.”

As mayor, Newton said the town raised the minimum wage for employees to $15 per hour, an issue that is at the forefront of a national debate. Newton said it has “proven to be a great move” for retention and quality of life.

With his launch official, Newton said he plans to visit much of the state.

“We have so many people across the state of North Carolina that are really struggling,” he said. “We have to be able to identify what their needs are to help these people.”

State Sen. Jeff Jackson, former state Sen. Erica Smith and virologist Richard Watkins have announced their candidacy for the Democratic nomination. Cheri Beasley, former chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court, is expected to enter the race this month, and former NASA astronaut Joan Higginbotham is considering a run as well.

Jackson announced Monday that he raised $1.28 million in the first quarter, a figure that’s higher than previous Democratic challengers Cal Cunningham and Deborah Ross raised in their first full quarter as candidates.

Walker and former Department of Defense employee Jen Barnwart have officially declared on the Republican side. Several other prominent Republicans, including North Carolina native Lara Trump, U.S. Rep. Ted Budd and former NC Gov. Pat McCrory, are considering bids.

Libertarian Shannon Bray has announced his candidacy and former Burr staffer Kimrey Rhinehardt is trying to qualify for the ballot as an independent.

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