# Richard Hudson (American politician)

Richard Lane Hudson Jr. (born November 4, 1971) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for North Carolina's 9th congressional district since 2013 (previously numbered the 8th district). A member of the Republican Party, his district covers a large part of the southern Piedmont area from Concord to Spring Lake.

## Early life and education

Hudson was born in Franklin, Virginia, but has lived in the Charlotte area since childhood. He graduated from Myers Park High School in 1990. He attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and graduated Omicron Delta Kappa in 1996 with a bachelor's degree in political science and history. He also served as student body president and president of the College Republicans and was a member of the Kappa Alpha Order social fraternity.

## Early career

Active in politics for many years, Hudson served as district director for 8th District Congressman Robin Hayes from 1999 to 2005. At various times, he served on the staffs of Republicans Virginia Foxx, John Carter and Mike Conaway. He also served as communications director for the North Carolina Republican Party in the mid-1990s. In 1996 he worked on Richard Vinroot's campaign for governor, and in 2008 as campaign manager for Pat McCrory's run for governor. Hudson was the president of Cabarrus Marketing Group, a small business consulting and marketing company he started in 2011 and dissolved upon his election to Congress.

## U.S. House of Representatives
### Elections
#### 2012

Hudson ran for Congress in North Carolina's 8th congressional district. He won the July 17 Republican primary runoff with 64% of the vote against Scott Keadle and faced Democratic incumbent Larry Kissell in November. The district had been made significantly more Republican in redistricting, losing most of its share of Charlotte and picking up several heavily Republican areas northeast of the city.
At a primary campaign event in April 2012, Hudson told a Tea Party group, "there's no question President Obama is hiding something on his citizenship." He later apologized for his comments and said he accepted that Obama was born in the United States.
Hudson spoke at the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida, on August 28, 2012. He was elected with 54% of the vote to Kissell's 46% and took office in January 2013.
North Carolina's 8th congressional district, 2012 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Richard Hudson | 160,695 | 53.2 |
| | Democratic | Larry Kissell (incumbent) | 137,139 | 45.4 |
| | Independent | Antonio Blue (write-in) | 3,990 | 1.3 |
| | n/a | Write-ins | 456 | 0.1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 302,280 | 100.0 |
| | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic |

#### 2014

Hudson was opposed by Antonio Blue in the general election and won 64.9% to 35.1%.

#### 2016

In 2016, Hudson was challenged by Tim D'Annunzio in the primary election. He won with 64.6% of the vote to D'Annunzio's 35.4%. In the general election, Hudson defeated Democrat Thomas Mills 58.8%–41.2%.

#### 2018

North Carolina's 8th congressional district, 2018 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Richard Hudson (incumbent) | 141,402 | 55.3 |
| | Democratic | Frank McNeill | 114,119 | 44.7 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 255,521 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

#### 2020

Hudson defeated Democrat Patricia Timmons-Goodson in the November 3 general election.

#### 2022

North Carolina's 9th congressional district, 2022 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Richard Hudson (incumbent) | 131,453 | 56.50 |
| | Democratic | Ben Clark | 101,202 | 43.50 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 232,655 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

#### 2024

2024 North Carolina's 9th congressional district election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Richard Hudson (incumbent) | 210,042 | 56.3 |
| | Democratic | Nigel William Bristow | 140,852 | 37.8 |
| | Independent | Shelane Etchison | 22,183 | 5.9 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 373,077 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### Committee assignments

At the beginning of the 116th Congress, Hudson was assigned to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Energy, Subcommittee on Health and Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce.

### Caucus membership

* Republican Study Committee
* Rare Disease Caucus

### Tenure

According to The Sandhills Sentinel, Hudson holds a conservative position on gun control, opposes abortion, and has been "a leading advocate of opioid reform."
Hudson sponsored a bill to improve airport security in reaction to the 2013 Los Angeles International Airport shooting. Representative John Katko reintroduced the bill, which became law in the 114th Congress.
In 2014, Hudson proposed prohibiting EPA officials from using airplane travel for official travel.
In December 2020, Hudson was one of 126 Republican members of the House of Representatives to sign an amicus brief in support of Texas v. Pennsylvania, a lawsuit filed at the United States Supreme Court contesting the results of the 2020 presidential election, in which Joe Biden defeated Trump. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case on the basis that Texas lacked standing under Article III of the Constitution to challenge the results of an election held by another state.
On January 6, 2021, Hudson was one of 147 Republican lawmakers who objected to the certification of electoral votes from the 2020 presidential election after a crowd of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol and forced an emergency recess of Congress. On May 19, 2021, Hudson and all seven other House Republican leaders voted against establishing a national commission to investigate the January 6, 2021, attack on the United States Capitol Complex. Thirty-five Republican House members and all 217 Democrats present voted to establish such a commission.
In March 2025, amid public opposition to the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency's sweeping spending cuts and other Trump administration policies, Hudson instructed fellow Republican members of Congress to stop holding town halls.

## Policy positions

In 2015, Hudson cosponsored a resolution to amend the Constitution to ban same-sex marriage.
Hudson supported President Donald Trump's 2017 executive order to impose a temporary ban on entry to the U.S. to citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries, saying, "At a time of grave security threats, President Trump is right to pause the flow of refugees from countries where terrorism is rampant until we can properly vet them and implement additional screening for individuals traveling to and from these countries."
Hudson favors repealing the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and has voted to repeal it.
Hudson supports Israel's right to defend itself. In 2023, he voted with an overwhelming bipartisan majority to provide Israel with whatever support is necessary in the "barbaric war" in Gaza started by Hamas and other organization following the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7.
Hudson supported President Trump's proposal from 2025 to send U.S. troops to take control of Gaza and remove the Gazans from the territory.
Hudson voted in favor of S.5, the Laken Riley Act. The bill would require the Secretary of Homeland Security to detain illegal immigrants who are charged with theft, burglary, or shoplifting.
Hudson opposes red flag laws, which allow courts to remove firearms from individuals deemed a threat to themselves or others.

## Personal life

Hudson's wife, Renee, was chief of staff for Kellyanne Conway. Hudson attends Crossroads Church (Concord, North Carolina), which is a Global Methodist Church congregation.