Jeff Jackson wins North Carolina’s newest congressional district

Why it matters: One of Charlotte’s most popular politicians, Jackson’s become a household name by showing up at protests, tweeting, knocking on doors and engaging directly with constituents. Jackson’s win Tuesday night marks a new chapter as he ascends from Raleigh to Washington.

• He won on Tuesday with 57% of the votes.

Background: Jackson served in Afghanistan and is an attorney and has been a state senator since 2014.

Last year, Jackson ended his bid for a U.S. Senate seat. Instead, he threw his weight behind Cheri Beasley and opted to run for a different federal office.

• His whirlwind campaign included a driving tour of all 100 North Carolina counties.
• He previously told Axios that he was encouraged to run for the House after District 14, which includes southern Mecklenburg and eastern Gaston counties, was outlined in newly approved maps.

Jackson celebrated his victory Tuesday night during a watch party at Lenny Boy Brewing. A live musician played as two big screens of CNN rolled election results in battleground states. The room cheered whenever good news about local Democratic races flashed.

• Just after 9:30pm, Jackson and his family took to the stage: “It is an honor of a lifetime to tell you that we have won.”

What he’s saying: “A new district is an opportunity for a new start, for a new generation and for a new set of expectations,” Jackson continued during his victory speech. “I want to use this office to do important things for the people who live here. And that’s not a short list.

• “There are a lot of things that need to be done … I want to do that work in a way that raises your expectations about what you deserve from people in this position, because your expectations are really low. They’ve never been lower. And that’s a problem.”

Of note: Jackson thanked his opponent, a fellow veteran. “[Harrigan] loves this country, and he wants what’s best for it.”

What’s next: Jackson says the first bill he sponsors in Congress would target gerrymandering. He says he intends to use past bills he’s filed in the state senate as a model.