Inside the finances of NC's 13th District candidates
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Rep. Brad Knott poses for a photograph on the steps of the House of Representatives in 2024. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
As Republican Rep. Brad Knott vies for another term representing North Carolina's 13th District, he reports holding assets worth between $3.3 million and $13.4 million, according to a financial disclosure report filed in August.
Why it matters: Financial disclosure reports are one of the key tools the public has for examining how policymakers in Washington make their money and whether they have potential conflicts of interest.
- They've played a big role in the Senate showdown between Roy Cooper and Michael Whatley.
Driving the news: Axios Raleigh is taking a look at the financial disclosure reports of the Triangle area's congressional representatives ahead of the midterm election this November.
State of play: Knott, a former U.S. attorney who lives in Raleigh, has represented the 13th district since 2024. The district — drawn in 2024 — includes parts of Wake County and towns like Wake Forest, Clayton and Sanford.
- Knott's reported assets are from 2025 and vary from companies in the oil industry to real estate investments.
Zoom in: Some of Knott's largest holdings include:
- Between $1 million and $5 million in Canadian oil and natural gas producer Baytex Energy Corp stock, which pays annual dividends between $15,000 and $50,000.
- An investment worth between $100,000 and $250,000 in the Texas oil company Mewbourne Oil that produces monthly income between $50,000 to $100,000 depending on oil production.
- Investments in a Roth IRA worth between $500,000 and $1 million into the metal payment card maker CompoSecure and asset management company Resolute Holdings.
- Resolute is led by Knott's brother — Tom Knott, who contributed $700,000 to Brad's 2024 campaign — and the company acquired CompoSecure in 2024 before spinning it into a separate public company in 2025.
- Two real estate investments worth between $200,000 and $500,000.
What they're saying: Knott was not made available for an interview about his financial report. But in a statement, he noted that he voted in favor of the Stop Insider Trading Act, which would ban members of Congress from holding individual stocks.
- "His retirement investments have barely changed since he entered Congress and are outlined, per House requirements, in his financial disclosure forms available online for everyone to see," Knott's spokesperson said in a statement.
The other side: Knott's opponent in November is Paul Barringer, a Lee County native who is a healthcare consultant.
- His financial disclosure report for 2025 reports assets ranging between $4.9 million and $18.9 million. The report covers half of 2025 and Barringer has filed for an extension to submit a fuller report.
The report includes:
- Real estate investments into timberland in Sanford, Lillington and Vermont worth between $1.6 million and $6.3 million as well as properties in Sanford, Virginia and Maryland worth between $1.1 million and $5.3 million.
- Fidelity-managed investment accounts worth between $1.5 million and $6 million.
- Shares of UnitedHealth Group worth between $50,000 and $100,000.
It also showed that Barringer reported no income in 2025 but was paid for consulting work for Crestline Advisors, The Menges Group, Weber Consulting and MBO Partners.
- He also reported positions with clothing company Mill & Mountain, his family's fertilizer company Sapona Mills and his consulting firm Enterprise Support Partners.
What they're saying: Barringer also said he backs a ban on stock trading for Congress.
- "I don't think it's right for public servants to be using private information for personal gain — whether in the legislative or executive branch," he told Axios.
