Even though you’re reading a political blog, you might not know the answer to this question. I’m going to give you a little background about the 8th District, how we got to where we are, and where we might be heading.
For a while now, the 8th has stretched from Charlotte to Fayetteville with old textile mill country in between. There are different media markets on both ends (Charlotte having its own and Fayetteville using a combination of Raleigh/Wilmington networks) so getting out a consistent message is difficult for any candidate.

A Republican has held the 8th since 2000, with the exception of Larry Kissell, a Democrat who kept the seat for two terms (2008-2012) after riding Obama’s coattails to his first victory. The lines were gerrymandered in 2011, and Kissell got creamed in the next election by Republican heir Richard Hudson.

