Meet Bo Hines, NC Congressional Candidate

CLAY: We are headed right now down to North Carolina, over to North Carolina for me doing the show here in Nashville. I want to say thanks to our affiliate in Raleigh. WTKK-FM. We’re number one there also, I believe, number one in Greensboro, Winston-Salem, WPTI-FM. Also, appreciate everybody at Greenville, New Bern and Williamston — Asheville as well. Lots of places listening to us right now. We bring in Bo Hines. He’s North Carolina’s 13th Congressional District Republican candidate. He is also a former college football player, among other things, meaning we overlap in a bunch of different interests. What’s it like campaigning versus playing high-level college football, Bo? How would you compare the two?

HINES: Well, thanks for having me today. And I have to tell you, though, I imagine the last 30 days of the campaign is very similar to being in fall camp. And that’s what we’ve kind of likened it to here, you know, with our campaign team. But it’s a grind for the last 30 days, but it’s a lot of fun. You meet so many interesting people, you hear so many tremendous stories, And just being out on the ground, talking with voters is tremendously rewarding. And that’s something that we’ve really enjoyed doing here for the past year, a year and a half, but even more so over the past 30 days.

BUCK: Bo, what are the people that you’re speaking to in the district that you want to be representing telling you that people across the country need to hear, that they want you to address? I mean, what are their challenges and what are their hopes?

HINES: Well, you know, I’ll say it’s economy, economy, economy. People are hurting. Right now with inflation at 8.3%, that’s the equivalent of one month’s salary for the American people. It’s unsustainable. We have to rein in the price of goods. And, you know, people are hurting when they go to the gas pump. They’re hurting when they go to the grocery store. Their everyday needs just cost more. We have to get government spending under control, which leads to this rampant inflation that I’ve talked about. The first thing we need to do in Congress is pass a balanced budget amendment.

We have to balance our checkbook in my wife and I’s household and every other American does, too. So should Congress. And this is just common-sense stuff. We haven’t done that since 1995 when Newt Gingrich was speaker. But I’m confident with the Republican majority in conservative leadership, we’ll be able to do something of that nature to hopefully get government spending under control and rein in this outrageous inflation.

CLAY: Bo, as we’re sitting here five days out, you get the sense when you’re running in political campaigns where the momentum is much like, again, from your athletic background, you can tell how a game is going sometimes based on how the body language is on the field where people are jumping around. Do you get the sense that in North Carolina — in your district and also in the state — that we are seeing a Republican surge, that the Republican Red Wave is beginning to crest five days out?

HINES: I mean, it’s very palpable. I mean, you hear every single day when you’re talking to voters. I’ve been working early voting locations in the morning, and you see Republicans showing up. They’re very enthusiastic to vote, and we’re seeing the results in early voting numbers are already coming in. But, you know, the big surge is going to be on Election Day. And I’ll say this: This is one of the most competitive Republican-leaning seats in the country. I think the Red Wave will start right here in North Carolina’s 13th District on Election Night. So we need everyone to get out and vote here. Your voice matters, your vote matters. And hopefully, we can we can lead the tide.

BUCK: We’re speaking to Bo Hines. He’s running in North Carolina’s 13th Congressional District. What are some of the differences between you and your opponent that people who live in your district, people who are in the 13th…? What do they need to know?

HINES: Well, you know, I grew up in a family of small business owners. We weren’t involved in the political process for a long time. We’re not some partisan political dynasty. We were just fed up with what we saw going on in our country and felt like we needed to stand up and fight back against the radical left that’s chipped away at our rights for an inch at a time. You know, my opponents from California. He’s a California Democrat who moved to North Carolina. He’s a defense attorney. He’s run for office in California, lost out there, decided to run here in North Carolina, where we thought we might have a better chance. But, you know, I represent North Carolina values here.

I represent blue collar workers. We represent hard work, people that just want to live their lives and keep government out of it. And that’s what we’re fighting for. We’re fighting for parental rights here to make sure parents can decide what their children are taught and at what age they’re taught certain material. We’re fighting to reduce crime, which has been rampant here, not only here in our community, but across the country. And you see this immense overflow of illegal migrants coming to our country, bringing with them drugs and fentanyl, which is leading to a destruction in our communities to local level. And we’re fighting to stop that stuff. But most importantly, we’re fighting to create opportunity for people. And that’s something we talk about all the time. And that’s something we fought for in our family with our small business, and we look forward to leading the charge in not here in North Carolina.

CLAY: Bo, what can people listening to us right now do to ensure that you are elected and that, as you said, North Carolina — certainly with polls closing relatively early on Tuesday, Election Night — can begin to lead that red surge?

HINES: Well, make sure you get out and vote, whether it’s early or whether it’s on Election Day, make sure you show up at the polls, make sure that your voice is heard, and grab your friends and family and bring them along with you. We need everyone to show up and we need to take this country back by storm. We have to.

BUCK: And what’s your website, Bo?

HINES: It’s Bo4NC.com. You can follow us on social media @BoHines or @BoHinesNC.

CLAY: Bo, how old are you, by the way? There’s a lot of people out there listening in their sixties and seventies who are terrified of what the future of America is going to look like. Buck and I aren’t that old, but you’re a lot younger than us.

BUCK: Clay’s a little older.

CLAY: (laughing) How old are you, Bo?

HINES: I’m 27 years old.

BUCK: Wow.

CLAY: Twenty-seven years old. So, we had Caroline Levitt on, who’s 25, I believe. So, I know for a lot of people out there who are listening, that is just gratifying to hear because there are so many people out there terrified of what the country is going to be like in 20 years. In 20 years, Bo Hines is all going to be 47. That’s still relatively I like to think young.

HINES: (chuckles) Well, we’re hoping to lead the charge for the youth movement, especially with conservatives. We have to broaden our base and make sure we show people that, you know, we’re fighting for everyone in this country of all ages, of every background. And like we said, the Republican Party should be the party of diversity. It should be the party that that stands up for what our country was built on. I think that’s the direction that we’re moving in. I think it’ll benefit the American people long term.

BUCK: Bo Hines, we’re going to be watching your race closely as a bellwether on Election Night. So bring it home for us, buddy! Running into the end zone.

HINES: Absolutely. Thank you guys so much for having me.

BUCK: Thank you.