It’s not unusual for political candidates to be offended by the advertisements run by their opponents.

Republican 6th District congressional candidate Christian Castelli decided to do something about the ads being run by his opponent, Democratic 6th District Congresswoman Kathy Manning.

Greensboro attorney Chuck Winfree, on behalf of the Castelli campaign, sent a “cease and desist” letter to the Manning campaign.

The letter states, “Minimal research would reveal that the Manning Campaign’s statements are false, defamatory, and are intended to deceive the voters in North Carolina 6th Congressional District. For these reasons, we are demanding that you immediately cease and desist from any further publication of ads by the Kathy Manning for Congress committee that contain these false statements.”

The letter states that the advertisements “accuse Mr. Castelli of supporting a complete ban on abortions, with no exceptions, and accuses him of favoring the elimination of protections for pre-existing conditions.

“Though it is true that Mr. Castelli does not agree with Ms. Manning’s support for abortion on demand at all times during pregnancy with no limitations, Mr. Castelli has consistently stated that abortion should be legal in certain circumstances.”

The letter also states, “Consequently, the Manning Campaign’s statements that Mr. Castelli supports the elimination of protections for pre-existing conditions are another damnable lie.”

In an interview with The Carolina Journal, Castelli also noted that the Manning campaign claimed that he didn’t live in the 6th District.  Castelli, a retired US Army Special Forces lieutenant colonel, said he had lived in North Carolina for 24 years and in Moore County because it was close to Fort Bragg where he had been based. He said that he had promised to move into the 6th District if he won the Republican primary and he did.

Castelli is registered to vote in Greensboro.  However, congressional representatives are not required to live in the district they represent but must live in the same state as that district.

The 6th District was redrawn after the 2020 election and Castelli said that it is a much more competitive district than most people assume.

According to The Carolina Journal, Castelli said that internal polling showed he was only two points behind and he added, “So I think this is a winnable district that is ripe to return to Republican representation.”