Walter B. Jones survived a
repeat primary challenge
from GOP operative Taylor Griffin Tuesday night.

With 75 percent of precincts reporting, Jones led Griffin 66 to 15 percent. Phil Law was in second place with 19 percent of the vote. 

North Carolina did away with the 40 percent threshold requirement for its House primaries after court-mandated redistricting
pushed back the primaries from March
.

Jones will likely cruise to a 12th term in his Safe Republican seat in coastal North Carolina.

[

Ellmers Becomes First GOP Incumbent to Lose in 2016

]

In 2014, Griffin came within
6 points of knocking off Jones
. Outside groups spent more than $1 million during that race to
paint Jones as a “liberal
.” But outside spending was comparatively lower this cycle.    

Jones has often broken with his party.

Part of the duo that renamed French fries

in the House cafeteria “freedom fries” after France refused to go along with the U.S. plans for military action in Iraq, Jones later disavowed his votes to authorize the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He’s been one the party’s most outspoken critics of overseas military intervention.  

[

Walter Jones’ Leadership Letter Solidifies Outsider Image Ahead of Rematch

] 

He voted against John A. Boehner for speaker in January 2015. And during last fall’s leadership drama, he was again in the spotlight after 
sending a letter to Republican leadership
asking anyone who had committed “misdeeds” to withdraw from leadership elections.

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