New Congressman reveals his father passed away days after seeing him win

The Independent · Independent Reporters · 2026-11-06 19:19 UTC

A newly-elected Congressman has shared the moment he told his father he had won his race as he announced his dad had passed away after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. Democrat Richard Ojeda, a retired Army Major, defeated seven-term Republican Congressman Richard Hudson for North Carolina’s Ninth District on Tuesday (November 3). On Friday (November 6), Ojeda posted a video to his X account showing him telling his elderly father of his win. In the caption, he revealed his father passed away Friday morning after a years-long battle with Parkinson’s. “A part of me believes he held on just long enough to see his son make it to Congress,” he wrote. “Rest easy, Daddy. I’ll take it from here. These next two years are for you.”

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