This US House district was once a political battleground. Now it shows why Congress is dysfunctional

In North Carolina’s 13th Congressional District, shifting political dynamics and redistricting have transformed a former battleground into a safe seat. In the 2022 midterm elections, Democrat Wiley Nickel ran as a moderate and secured a narrow victory of approximately 9,000 votes.

Two years later, Republican Brad Knott ran as a conservative in the same district and won election to the US House by a margin of more than 70,000 votes. This sharp transition highlights broader structural and political shifts within American congressional districts.