Otterblog

Does it matter if our elected representatives live in the districts they represent? On the surface, that seems like a no-brainer. Of course it does. If you live in a community, you’re more likely to know its problems and potential and the people who make it so.

We have two residency issues involving politicians going these days. The first, involves former state Rep. Frank Mitchell, who is challenging Rep. Julia Howard in the Republican primary in the

, which is made up of Davie County and parts of northern and central Iredell County. Howard claims Mitchell’s true address is in another section of Iredell. She hired a private eye to find out. The whole thing seems sad and funny at the same time.

Then, there’s Vernon Robinson, who is running for the

, another of our ink-splattered districts. It stretches from Eastern Wake County into Guilford County and across the northern tier counties. Robinson doesn’t live in the district.

Federal candidates don’t need to live in the districts they represent as long as they live in the state. Robinson’s residency problem is strictly a political one. Mitchell’s residency is right now a legal problem, but it is ultimately a political problem as well. Even if he prevails and meets the legal threshold for residency, Howard is likely to pound him in the primary about where he hangs his hat.