CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance visited Charlotte on Monday.
Vance made an unexpected stop at the Billy Graham Library ahead of two scheduled events. Vance first spoke at Halton Theater on Elizabeth Avenue, hitting hot topics of inflation and the border.
"North Carolina is a second home to me," Vance said. "It is going to be the state that turns this country red. We're going to send Donald Trump back to the White House."
Multiple North Carolina GOP leaders showed up to support and introduce Vance, including the candidates for auditor, labor commissioner, and attorney general—notably not including Lt. Governor Mark Robinson.
Vance addressed the recent investigation into Robinson after the floor was opened up to the media for questions.
"I've seen some of the statements. I haven't seen them all. Some of them are pretty gross, to put it mildly," Vance said. "I think it's up to Mark Robinson to make his case to the people of North Carolina that those weren't his statements, and I'm going to let him make that case."
He then spoke at a Believers and Ballots coalition event at Freedom House Church in northeast Charlotte.
Drivers should anticipate potential traffic disruptions as Vance travels between his events and Charlotte Douglas International Airport. While no exact closures have been announced, recent visits from his running mate, former President Donald Trump, and their opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, have caused intermittent interstate closures.
The Believers and Ballots program, which was launched by the Trump campaign, organizes church congregations in key battleground states, such as North Carolina.
Vance has made several trips to North Carolina since being picked by former President Donald Trump this summer. He was in Raleigh earlier this week where he delivered a 20-minute speech that criticized President Joe Biden's energy and immigration policies.
"We could have such a better economy for working families if we actually had smarter policies," Vance told WRAL before his speech.
Both campaigns have spent considerable time and money in North Carolina, with Vice President Harris and Trump both hosting rallies in Charlotte. A recent WRAL poll showed Harris with a narrow 3-point lead over Trump. North Carolina hasn't gone to a Democrat since former President Barack Obama in 2008. Before that, you have to go all the way back to 1976 when Jimmy Carter defeated Gerald Ford to find a Democratic presidential win in North Carolina.