Joe McLaughlin

Joseph R. "Joe" McLaughlin was a Republican candidate in the 2008 congressional elections for the 3rd Congressional District (map) of North Carolina. He was defeated by incumbent Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.) in the Republican primary on May 6, 2008.

2008 elections
McLaughlin was defeated by incumbent Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.) in the Republican primary on May 6, 2008.

McLaughlin was the first candidate to be endorsed in the 2008 election by Vets for Freedom. In a January 27, 2008 press release announcing the endorsement, Vets for Freedom Exrcutive Director Pete Hegseth writes, "The current Representative of North Carolina's 3rd District not only voted on multiple occasions to set a timetable for retreat from Iraq, but represented the lone Republican voice in a letter to President Bush demanding the closing of Guantanamo Bay. Clearly he does not recognize the threats that our country faces in the 21st Century. Joe McLaughlin is the answer to this inherent weakness in Congress, and I am proud to offer the support of Vets for Freedom." 

External resources

 * 2008 Race Tracker page on North Carolina's 3rd Congressional District
 * McLaughlin's FEC filings
 * Official Joe McLaughlin for U.S. Congress website