Ex-Republican Rhinehardt seeks U.S. Senate bid as independent

PITTSBORO, N.C. (AP) - A longtime Republican and former Capitol Hill staffer says she’s aiming to run for a North Carolina U.S. Senate seat next year as an independent candidate.

Kimrey Rhinehardt of Pittsboro has started collecting over 83,000 signatures of registered voters she’d need for her name to be on the ballot in fall 2022.

Officially the newest Unaffiliated candidate petitioning to be on the ballot for US Senate in NC. Only 83,187 signatures to go. Follow here or @KimreyforNC for the latest...I will return the follow ✍🏼 pic.twitter.com/NA1UkQU7xj
— Kimrey Rhinehardt (@KimreyThinks) March 8, 2021

She says she officially changed her affiliation a few days after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot by extremist supporters of Donald Trump. GOP Sen. Richard Burr announced several years ago his plans not to seek another term in 2022.

Several other people have already announced their candidacies.