Richard Ojeda, a retired Army major who previously said he would willingly go to jail for assaulting White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, defeated Republican Rep. Richard Hudson in a major congressional upset, bringing renewed scrutiny to his past statements.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
RALEIGH, N.C. — Democrat Richard Ojeda defeated Republican Rep. Richard Hudson, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, in North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District on Tuesday, Nov. 3, winning a traditionally Republican seat despite a history of inflammatory remarks, including statements expressing a willingness to physically assault senior Trump administration official Stephen Miller.
Ojeda’s victory attracted renewed attention to a video from March 2022 in which he described wanting to attack Miller, who now serves as President Donald Trump’s deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser.
“Stephen Miller needs to be thumped. That guy’s a friggin’ worm,” Ojeda said in the video circulated on X.
“I would be willing to go to jail for. I mean, how much would I get for just cracking him a couple times?” he continued.
“You know, I’d be willing to go to jail to kick the shit out of him,” Ojeda said. “I’d be more than happy to find myself in an elevator with him, and I’d whoop his ass from the first floor to the fifth floor, and be happy to go to jail.”
The comments were originally made during an episode of Ojeda’s online program, Ojeda LIVE, in March 2022. They resurfaced in October 2025 as he campaigned for Congress, drawing criticism from Republicans and the White House.
According to Fox News’ Oct. 8, 2025, investigation, the administration condemned the statements after video of the remarks circulated online.
White House spokesperson Kush Desai accused Ojeda of promoting political violence and said Miller would continue working to implement the president’s policies.
“Unfortunately, Democrats disgustingly supporting political violence is nothing new,” Desai told Fox News Digital.
“Neither Stephen Miller nor any other member of the administration is going to back down from delivering on President Trump’s agenda to Make America Great Again. In the meantime, Richard Ojeda should seek help.”
The controversy preceded Ojeda’s victory over Hudson by more than a year and did not prevent him from winning a district that had remained under Republican control for decades.
According to WUNC’s reporting on the election, unofficial returns with all 169 precincts reporting showed Ojeda receiving 138,707 votes to Hudson’s 132,692.
The result represented a major reversal in a district where Hudson won reelection by nearly 20 percentage points in 2024.
Hudson, who has served in Congress since 2013, also chaired the NRCC, the organization responsible for recruiting Republican congressional candidates and supporting the party’s efforts to retain control of the House.
His defeat made him one of the most prominent Republican incumbents to lose during Tuesday’s Democratic midterm gains.
Hudson conceded Wednesday, acknowledging the district’s decision and pledging to assist with the transition.
“Last night, the voters of North Carolina’s 9th District made their choice, and I respect it,” Hudson said, according to NC Newsline.
“God is sovereign over my life, and He has a plan for all of us.”
Ojeda celebrated the victory as a rejection of Republican congressional leadership and the political influence of wealthy campaign donors.
“We just unseated the chair of the NRCC,” Ojeda wrote in a social media statement. “It’s a new day in America.”
The Democrat previously served in the West Virginia Senate and spent 24 years in the U.S. Army, including deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.
He unsuccessfully pursued the Democratic nomination for a U.S. Senate seat in West Virginia in 2020 before relocating to North Carolina.
During his 2026 congressional campaign, Ojeda emphasized lowering prescription drug costs, protecting Social Security and veterans’ benefits, and reducing the influence of corporate campaign contributions.
Following his election, he described the victory as an opportunity to challenge the political establishment.
“I spent 24 years in the Army, and I’ve been in some hard fights. This is the one I’ll remember for the rest of my life,” Ojeda said in a statement reported by ABC11 Raleigh-Durham.
“The people of NC-09 looked at the guy running the entire Republican money machine, and they fired him,” he continued.
“This win belongs to every teacher, every nurse, every veteran, every family at Fort Bragg and every working person who’s sick and tired of watching the billionaire class take everything. They deserve better. Starting in January, they’re going to get it.”
His campaign manager, Amy Dorra, credited volunteers and grassroots organizing for the upset.
“Nobody in Washington thought this seat was in play. Our volunteers never bought that for a second,” Dorra said.
The district stretches across central North Carolina, including communities near Fort Bragg and portions of Cumberland, Guilford and surrounding counties.
Its Republican voting history made Hudson’s defeat particularly significant in an election that delivered Democrats control of the House and Senate.
Ojeda’s earlier comments about Miller also place him among incoming lawmakers whose political rhetoric has attracted scrutiny over threats and statements involving violence against political opponents.
Although the video documents his stated willingness to assault Miller, the remarks do not establish that he attempted to carry out the threat.
No criminal charges stemming from those statements were identified in the reporting reviewed.
Miller has been a leading architect of Trump’s immigration policies and has become a frequent target of criticism from Democratic politicians and progressive activists.
The incoming Democratic majority is expected to examine the administration’s immigration enforcement practices, giving the issue additional prominence in the next Congress.
Ojeda’s campaign statements and past political commentary suggest he will be among the more outspoken Democratic members when the 120th Congress convenes in January 2027.
His victory also highlights the scale of Republicans’ electoral losses, with the party’s national House campaign chairman failing to retain his own seat.
Election results remain unofficial until North Carolina completes its canvass and certification procedures.
With Hudson having conceded, Ojeda is preparing to assume office in January, while the resurfaced remarks about Miller remain part of the public record surrounding his election.
Original article
Comments