Vice President JD Vance Makes Stop in Davidson County Before Concord Speech
{Photo: Office of Vice President, White House}
Vice President JD Vance made a stop in Davidson County on Wednesday Sept. 24th, visiting Richard Childress Racing in Welcome for a “private” fundraiser before traveling east to Concord for a public event.
Later, Vance is set to deliver remarks in Concord highlighting President Donald Trump’s tax cuts and policies aimed at empowering state and local law enforcement. The vice president’s visit underscores North Carolina’s role as a political battleground — a state Trump carried in both 2016 and 2020, and one that has been a frequent destination for the Trump-Vance administration since taking office.
Vance and Trump both made regular trips to North Carolina during the 2024 campaign. In January of that year, Trump traveled to Western North Carolina to meet with families still recovering from Hurricane Helene, signaling the campaign’s emphasis on staying connected with communities outside major metro areas.
Wednesday’s visit comes at a time when North Carolina lawmakers are reshaping criminal justice policy. The General Assembly recently passed Iryna’s Law, legislation named in honor of Iryna Zarutska. The law institutes changes to the state’s criminal justice system.
The North Carolina Senate voted 28-8 to pass Iryna’s Law” (HB 307), a criminal justice reform bill that tightens pretrial conditions for the release of violent offenders, eliminates cashless bail, establishes a new protocol for ordering mental health evaluations in the criminal justice system, and sets a firmer timeline for appeal in death penalty cases.
While details of how the administration will tie the law to broader national priorities were not immediately available, Vance’s focus on law enforcement empowerment suggests a consistent theme.
North Carolina has long been a testing ground for national policy rollouts, with its mix of urban growth centers and rural communities reflecting larger national divides. Richard Childress Racing — an iconic name in NASCAR circles — was seen as both symbolic and strategic.
The visit to Welcome was closed to the public, but the Concord event is expected to draw supporters and community leaders from across the region.
