Kate Barr is a Democrat.

But when voters in North Carolina’s 14th Congressional District open their ballots in the March primary they’ll find an “R” next to her name.

She is literally a RINO or Republican In Name Only.

Barr considers herself a Democrat but said she’s running as a Republican to make a point about gerrymandering.

“Fundamentally… I hate gerrymandering. That is pretty much my core motivation for everything I do in politics,” Barr told Spectrum News 1.

The district, west of Charlotte, is solidly Republican.

The current congressman won by 16 points last election.

Barr said it speaks to just how gerrymandered North Carolina is. State Republican lawmakers recently approved a congressional map that favors Republicans in 11 of the state’s 14 congressional districts.

That’s in a state that only voted for President Donald Trump by three points in 2024 and elected a Democrat for governor.

“When the North Carolina state legislature passed the new congressional maps that further gerrymandered this state it became clear there has to be a political price for this behavior,” Barr said.

This is not the first unusual campaign for Barr.

In 2024 she ran as a Democrat in a district that heavily favored Republicans. The focus again was to draw attention to gerrymandering.

Her motto was “Kate Barr can’t win.”

She did not win, losing by 30 points.

But Barr was encouraged by some of the results she saw and in November launched her campaign for Congress.

This time she decided to run as a Republican.

She’s hoping that gives her an edge because in North Carolina voters not registered with either major party, known as unaffiliated, are the largest voting block in the state, and can participate in the Democrat or Republican primaries.

“Voters understand that the way to have a say is to choose which primary is actually going to elect their leader and vote in that primary,” Barr said. “I can absolutely win in this one… because primary turnout is so low it just doesn’t take that many people showing up and saying we’ve had enough to unseat an incumbent.”

Barr faces former North Carolina Speaker of the House and incumbent Republican congressman Tim Moore. His campaign told Spectrum News 1 that “Kate Barr’s latest stunt is an insult to Republican voters. Folks know a far-left fraud when they see one, and she doesn’t belong in our primary.”

Whether she wins or not, Barr hopes to encourage a fix to gerrymandering, an issue that’s front and center in North Carolina and around the country.

“Gerrymandering is wrong no matter which party is doing it, and we need to put an end to it. Period,” Barr said. “The goal, end result, is to have an independent commission in every state made up of citizens.”

Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.

POLK COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — Two people are dead after a truck ran off the road in Polk County, according to the North Carolina Highway Patrol.

HIGHWAY PATROL SEEKS PUBLIC’S HELP IN FATAL HIT-AND-RUN THAT CLAIMED LIFE OF LEICESTER MAN

Highway patrol says the fatal collision occurred at approximately 12:55 p.m. when an F-150 was traveling east on North Carolina 108 near Farm Lane.

The truck ran off the road and struck a tree, catching fire and being consumed by the flames.

According to the Highway Patrol, the driver and passenger were trapped in the vehicle and died as a result of the collision and the fire.

UPDATE: MULTI-CAR CRASH ON ASHEVILLE BRIDGE NOW CLEARED

Highway Patrol says it is working with the Medical Examiner’s Office to identify the deceased.

Charleston Southern Buccaneers offensive lineman Andrew Threatt has committed to transfer to the North Carolina Tar Heels. He spent the last three seasons at Charleston Southern.

“It’s not every day you can get coached by a well-experienced staff like North Carolina,” Threatt said. “Even excluding Coach [Bill] Belichick there is at least 10+ years of experience across the board, not to much the academic prestige of the University of North Carolina.”

This decision comes after North Carolina made Threatt an important target in the Transfer Portal this offseason. He was on campus on Saturday, January 3rd, on a visit.

“It was a great visit,” Threatt said. “I really enjoyed the experience and am excited to see what coach Belichick is building in Chapel Hill. The staff is truly one of a kind, and the fan base is even more amazing.”

Andrew Threatt played his high school football at Chesterfield in South Carolina. At the time, he had been overlooked as a recruit. That’s despite being a three-time All-State and All-Region selection during his high school career.

Over the past three seasons, Threatt has started 32 consecutive games for Charleston Southern. Those seasons have widely been considered rebuilding seasons for the Buccaneers under head coach Gabe Giardina. Still, at 10-25 over those three years, it’s been a frustrating run in terms of wins and losses.

As a freshman in 2023, Threatt began his time with Charleston Southern as a right tackle. Later, he’d kick inside to left guard as a sophomore. That was before returning to right tackle. So, it’s going to be interesting to see where North Carolina wants to use him along the offensive line. Regardless, it’s clear he brings some versatility to the Tar Heels in 2026. At  6-foot-3, 315-pounds, he profiles as an interior offensive lineman in the ACC.

Andrew Threatt would be named First Team All-Conference (OVC/Big South) in 2025. He has one season of eligibility remaining.

North Carolina’s first season under legendary head coach Bill Belichick was a frustrating one. The Tar Heels went just 4-8. However, there was some growth by the end of the season, and North Carolina finished winning two of their final five games.

Neither rushing yards nor sacks allowed are entirely the fault of the offensive line, but the offensive line does play a key role in success there. Those stats also tell an interesting story about North Carolina. The Tar Heels were 122nd nationally in rushing offense, averaging 105.25 yards per game. North Carolina was also 55th in sacks allowed, giving up 1.83 per game. So, there is room to improve.

Certainly, Belichick is looking to make changes on offense. Bobby Petrino is coming in as a new offensive coordinator for North Carolina. The Tar Heels have also already added a new transfer quarterback in Billy Edwards Jr.