Wake's only GOP lawmaker ponders congressional run

State Rep. Erin Paré, one of the few elected Republicans representing deep-blue Wake County, is considering a run for congress, her political advisor confirmed to Axios.

Context: Paré, a local business owner, military spouse and mother of two school-aged children, was first elected in 2020 when she narrowly defeated a Democratic incumbent.

• Voters in her southern Wake County district re-elected her in 2022.

Why it matters: In the months since her re-election, Paré has proven herself to be an increasingly prominent House Republican.

• As a chair of the House Health committee, Paré has sponsored some of the most consequential bills of this year's legislative session, putting her front and center of some of the most controversial debates in the legislature in recent months.
• And as a Republican who's won a highly competitive race in Wake County, she'd be a strong candidate in what would likely be a competitive congressional district.

Yes, but: It's still early. Republican lawmakers, emboldened by a recent state Supreme Court ruling that the legislature has sole authority in drawing political maps, are expected to redraw congressional districts in the coming months.

• With her potential congressional district's lines undetermined, Paré seems to be a long way off from making a final decision.

• “My focus remains on serving the people of southern Wake County as their state representative," Paré told Axios in a statement.

What they're saying: Still, Paré said she's considering a run because of the number of people who have approached her about it, and in the meantime has set up an exploratory committee that gives her the ability to fundraise.

• "With all the calls I’m getting urging me to consider running for Congress, I felt I should at least keep my options open, so I set this committee up,” Paré said.