HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. — With the race for North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District coming down to the wire, House minority whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) joined local drycleaner Jeff Miller on the campaign trail.
Miller, longtime operator of Miller’s Fine Drycleaning, is challenging incumbent Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) of Waynesville for the seat, which represents most of the state’s western tip. The No. 2 Republican in the House appeared with Miller at a rally last week in Hendersonville.
Miller vowed to “Repeal and Replace” the healthcare reform package passed by Congress earlier this year, and said he “looks forward” to a battle over whether to keep Bush-era tax cuts in place. He also promised the crowd of about 200 that he would fight to keep Social Security benefits intact.
As a business operator, Miller said he was proud not to contribute to the state’s unemployment in spite of a weak economy. “We’ve never had to let someone go because we didn’t have enough work,” he said, noting that he instead shrank payrolls through attrition.
Cantor said Miller was picked as a “Young Gun” to help reverse the so-called “socialist agenda” Washington has followed since President Obama’s election. Young Guns is a GOP program designed to identify and elect conservative candidates throughout the country.
Miller is notable for founding HonorAir, a program that helps fly veterans to Washington, D.C., to visit the World War II Memorial. The program has since expanded nationwide, and Miller won the International Fabricare Institute’s (IFI) Diamond Achievement Award in 2007 for his efforts.
At press time, Shuler—rated one of the most conservative Democrats in the House—leads Miller in a composite poll 51.5% to 46.4%.
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