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Charlotte congressional candidate calls opponent a coward, derogatory slur

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Democratic candidate for North Carolina's 9th Congressional District stands by calling his primary opponent a coward and a derogatory word used to describe a female body part.

Christian Cano criticized Dan McCready on Facebook for not being tough enough on President Donald Trump’s Charlottesville remarks.

He posted, “Go on the record you coward! You’re running as a Marine veteran. Stop being a coward and stand up for something you (derogatory slur)!”

(Christian Cano)

Dan McCready is Marine veteran who joined the USMC after 9/11 and fought in Iraq.

In an email to Channel 9, Cano said he stands by his comments on McCready:

“I stand by my statement against both Robert Pittenger and our Democratic challenger. Both have cowardly remained silent against the racism, bigotry, and buffoonery of President 45 over the past days. We all serve our country in our own chosen ways. The fact that our challenger decided to serve our country in his own way is a decision best for his situation. But, that does not make him better or worse than any other American citizen who serves our country in their own ways. Just being a Marine veteran doesn’t qualify a person to represent my family if they are cowardly silent when we most need it them.”

(Dan McCready)

McCready issued a statement on Cano's remarks:

“Since the first torches were lit on Friday night, I’ve made numerous statements explicitly condemning the violence and racism in Charlottesville and our President’s response to it. Christian Cano’s Trump-like comments Tuesday night were unhinged and deeply offensive to veterans, women, and the people of the Ninth District. Misogynistic, sexist, rhetoric is not befitting of anyone hoping to hold elected office, from the White House to the Ninth District. He can say whatever he wants about me but I think he owes every woman in this district an apology.”

On August 12 after torches were carried through University of Virginia’s campus, McCready denounced the events and President Trump’s response.

“The kind of hate we saw in Charlottesville last night is not what I fought for and it’s not what we stand for as Americans,” McCready wrote on Twitter. “Praying today that my kids will grow up to a world without bigotry or terror, with courageous leaders who call out evil by name.”

In an email to supporters this afternoon, McCready said his grandfather fought in World War II, and he is shocked and saddened by President Donald Trump’s comments.

“I'm disgusted that we have a President who won't call out hate and bigotry for what it is,” McCready said. “Because we should be clear - there is no equivalence between those who marched in the name of hate and those who marched to stand up to it. There is simply good and evil - period.”

Both Cano and McCready are running for the seat currently held by U.S. Rep. Robert Pittenger.

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