February 11, 2026
A candidate for Congress hoping to represent North Carolina's 14th district, Kate Barr, says she is running as a Republican because it is the only path to compete in her district due to GOP gerrymandering.

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A video is going viral of a congressional candidate in North Carolina admitting she is truly a “progressive” even though she is running as a Republican. 

“Are you trying to trick people?” Katie Barr, who is running in North Carolina’s 14th Congressional District, was asked on a podcast called “The Hometown Holler.” 

“If you go on the campaign website, above the fold as they call it, is like, ‘I’m not a real Republican.’ Like, I am telling people the truth. I knock on a door and say, ‘I am running in the Republican primary, but I am not a Republican, I am a progressive,’” Barr responded. “I can’t claim a Democrat anymore.”

She added that her goal is not “to pull a fast one,” claiming she is just “being dead honest with people about what I would do if I win.”

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U.S. House candidate in North Carolina Kate Barr next to the GOP logo of an elephant

Progressive candidate for the U.S. House in North Carolina, Kate Barr, was pressed on why she is running in the Republican primary during a viral podcast appearance. (Kate Barr Can Win/Getty Images)

On Nov. 6, Barr filed paperwork to challenge incumbent Rep. Tim Moore, R-N.C., to represent the state’s 14th Congressional District. 

Barr states on her website’s home page that she is running as a Republican because it’s “the only way to kick these corrupt cowards out of office.” She claims that Republicans have “rigged the maps” to ensure they will come out victors “every time.”

“The general election has already been decided. So – the primary is the only competition for this job,” Barr’s website explains.

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Rep. Tim Moore, R-N.C.

Rep. Tim Moore, R-N.C., is being challenged by a progressive candidate running as a Republican in the district’s GOP primary. (Getty Images)

Barr reiterated that she has been “honest” about who she is and how she plans to govern “from the start” in a statement to Fox News Digital.

“Tim Moore is terrible for the voters of district 14,” Barr continued. “He’s getting rich off of his position while voters struggle.  And Tim rigged this district to make sure he’d stay in office despite it all. That’s wrong. I’m running so voters have a real choice.”

While Barr has faced criticism online over her maneuver, with critics calling the move cheating and describing it as shameful, at least one conservative critic doesn’t think it is as big of a deal as some are making it out to be. 

Voting in North Carolina

A man fills out a ballot at a voting booth on May 17, 2022 in Mt. Gilead, North Carolina. (Getty Images)

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“I hate to burst the outrage bubble, but she’s not making a big secret out of this. It’s her whole schtick, and it’s front and center on her campaign website,” said Second Amendment activist Cam Edwards, on X, in response to the viral video of Barr.

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