Christian Castelli

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Christian Castelli

Republican Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

March 5, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

Saint John’s University, 1992

Graduate

Harvard University, 2004

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Army

Years of service

1992 - 2012

Personal

Birthplace

Columbia, S.C.

Religion

Catholic

Profession

Military officer

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Campaign YouTube

Personal LinkedIn

Christian Castelli (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent North Carolina's 6th Congressional District. He lost in the Republican primary on March 5, 2024.

Castelli completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Christian Castelli was born in Columbia, South Carolina. Castelli graduated from Saint Francis Preparatory High School. He earned a bachelor's degree in government and politics from Saint John’s University in 1992 and a master's degree in public administration from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government in 2004. Castelli served in the U.S. Army from 1992 until 2012, becoming a Green Beret in 1998. His career experience includes working as the deputy inspector general for the U.S. Army Special Operations Command and then as a senior military advisor in the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Assistant Secretary for Special Operations, and command inspector general for the U.S. Army Special Forces Command. After retiring from the military, Castelli's career experience includes working as a small business owner.

Elections

2024

See also: North Carolina's 6th Congressional District election, 2024

North Carolina's 6th Congressional District election, 2024 (March 5 Republican primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House North Carolina District 6

Addison McDowell is running in the general election for U.S. House North Carolina District 6 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate
		Addison McDowell (R)

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	There are no incumbents in this race.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Kathy Manning (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 6

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 6 on March 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Addison McDowell	26.1	21,285
		Mark Walker	24.1	19,633
		Christian Castelli	21.1	17,171
		Bo Hines	14.4	11,746
		Jay Wagner	9.2	7,462
		Mary Ann Contogiannis	5.1	4,195

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 81,492
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Endorsements

To view Castelli's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here. To send us an endorsement, click here.

2022

See also: North Carolina's 6th Congressional District election, 2022

North Carolina's 6th Congressional District election, 2022 (May 17 Republican primary)

North Carolina's 6th Congressional District election, 2022 (May 17 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House North Carolina District 6

Incumbent Kathy Manning defeated Christian Castelli and Thomas Watercott in the general election for U.S. House North Carolina District 6 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kathy Manning (D)	53.9	139,553
		Christian Castelli (R)	45.0	116,635
		Thomas Watercott (L)	1.1	2,810

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 258,998
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Kent Garrett (Independent)

Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Incumbent Kathy Manning advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 6.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 6

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 6 on May 17, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Christian Castelli	36.2	15,450
		Joseph Lee Haywood	33.7	14,390
		Mary Ann Contogiannis	12.2	5,211
		Gerry Austin	6.0	2,568
		Laura Pichardo	4.4	1,889
		Marvin Boguslawski	4.0	1,716
		William Schuch	3.4	1,452

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 42,676
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Libertarian primary election

The Libertarian primary election was canceled. Thomas Watercott advanced from the Libertarian primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 6.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Christian Castelli completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Castelli's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Christian Castelli grew up in a family of first responders. His family has a long history of service to our nation going back to his great-grandfather who immigrated to the United States and served as an Infantryman in WWI, he and his wife have a combined 43 years of United States military service. Christian was raised to believe in God, patriotism, hard work, and public service. He attended Christian schools, graduating from Saint Francis Preparatory High School, and later went on to Saint John’s University. Christian worked full-time to put himself through college until receiving an Army ROTC scholarship. He graduated in 1992 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Government and Politics and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Infantry. Over 20+ years, Christian served in 14 hostile fire zones, and six combat tours. He was Senior Advisor to the office of Secretary of Defense, and served as a Command Inspector General for Special Forces. He was selected by the Army to attend the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, where he earned his masters degree in public administration. Christian and his wife are parents to a handicapped daughter and have lived in NC for over 25 years. He was the 2022 Republican nominee for District 6.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• As a national security and military expert who has patrolled our southern border with local law enforcement, Christian is uniquely qualified to shape legislation to end the scourge of unfettered and unsustainable immigration policies of the Biden administration. Families who have lost loved ones to fentanyl or crime by illegal aliens can count on Christian as the qualified voice on border and immigration matters, as well as the global instability brought about by Biden's disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, his war in Ukraine, and his fecklessness on Russia and China. Biden has unleashed and encouraged bad behavior by first and second tier actors, and Castelli will bring about a quick end to it in Congress.
• Christian Castelli is a fiscal hawk who will take a close look at unnecessary spending while maintaining needed spending. He recognizes the cost of leftprogressivism in our education, corporate and education systems are grinding the wheels of progress to a standstill. Furthermore, the cost of illegal immigration to our health care, law enforcement and education systems is out of control. It is making our cities unlivable and our economy unsustainable. Christian is an America First leader who will not sacrifice our senior citizens because of the insane policies of Joe Biden and the progressives. He will protect Social Security and Medicare, which have been paid for by recipients, and will balance the budget by removing waste and abuse.
• Christian Castelli will be a voice of reason on the so-called Green Agenda that threatens both the environment and the economy. American energy independence was a reality a mere three years ago, and we must return to it immediately. Additionally, we must audit and investigate the entirety of the Climate Change new religion, which is pushing false information about the environmental impact of their favored industries as well as traditional fossil fuels. America's electricity needs will continue to grow and will have to be met by the building of safe nuclear power plants soon. In the meantime, we must build LNG facilities and allow for global trading. Free market trading, rather than picking winners and losers, will be key.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

National security, military affairs, education and education choice,
veterans' affairs, infrastructure and energy.
Other interests have been highlighted, but the Castellis live school choice
every day. Dr. Sharon Castelli, since retiring from the U.S. Air Force, has
been a career educator. She is now the superintendent of Uwharrie Charter
School system in Asheboro.
The Castellis are passionate about raising the quality of public education
through the charter school path.
They believe education funding should follow the student, that engaged and
empowered parents know best what their children need, and that families
should make the decisions about how best to educate the next generations
of self-sufficient Americans.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

A firm foundation in the history of the world, especially in Western
Civilization is necessary to understanding and protecting America for
posterity.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Leadership, decision-making and problem-solving are qualities honed
during my military career, and from what I can see, are sorely lacking in
D.C. right now.
I got to be a Green Beret by expecting the best from myself every day of my
military career. That is the same dedication I will bring to being the very best
congressman for the people of the 6th Congressional District of North
Carolina.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To understand the constitutional responsibilities and limitations of the job,
to know the needs of the people of the district you represent, and to hold
oneself to the highest standards of performance and ethics.

What legacy would you like to leave?

That I was a strong conservative leader during my tenure. That I fought
smart battles that resulted in meaningful gains for the American people.
That I conducted myself with honor and the highest standards of ethics.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Digging out of the damage done to our economy by Biden and the
progressives is a big one. Structurally, we must also undo the damage done
by decades of false theories and anti-American tropes having been taught
in our schools, especially our universities.
Fortunately, the next generation is witnessing the chaos and poverty that
progressivism breeds, as many predicted (and as world history has
proven).
We will also have to return to a Peace throughout Strength posture globally
and reassert American exceptionalism and power. This will calm the violent
tensions that are presently erupting around the globe, allowing peace-loving
people to return to the activities that lead to prosperity and happiness.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

One has only to look the mess we now face in D.C. to see what lack of
term limits brings: entrenched political back-scratching and personal
profiteering, for the most part.
While voters theoretically possess the opportunity to "term limit" any
politician on any given election day, the system of corrupt media and
byzantine campaign finance rules conspire to overwhelm and confuse,
resulting in name ID and party affiliation ruling the day.
Ultimately, term limits might not be needed, but they are now, or nothing will
change. I have signed the six year House, twelve year Senate term limit
pledge. If I am succeeding wildly by the end of six years and feel I still have
something to offer my country, I can find other ways to serve.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Moms for America Action. SEAL PAC, Congressman and former Trump
Interior Secretary, Ryan Zinke. Congressman and fellow Green Beret, Mike
Waltz. Ranger PAC. Green Beret PAC. Former Bush Education Secretary
Bill Bennett. NASCAR Legend Richard Petty. Retired Lieutenant General
Michael Flynn. Former Trump Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller.
Former Interim ICE Director, Tony Pham, and many others.

What committees interest you?

Given this district is home to two V.A.s, a V.A. home and 80,000 veterans,
and the NC Republican delegation presently has no veterans represented,
Christian is interested in serving on Veterans' Affairs. He would also like to
support the needs of the District and the next Congress and would be
willing to bring his military credentials to Homeland Security, Transportation
and Infrastructure, Armed Services, or wherever he can best lead and
serve.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

As a fiscal hawk and a former Inspector General, I plan to hold
government to the highest levels of accountability and transparency in
their/our job of conducting the business of the people.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign website

Castelli's campaign website stated the following:

“	The Economy North Carolina families are suffering under the economic policies and record inflation of Joe Biden and Democrats. Our national debt is an astronomical 34 TRILLION DOLLARS. Fiscal responsibility is fundamental to a strong economy and prosperity. I support a Balanced Budget Amendment and single focus spending bills. I will stop reckless government spending, cut taxes, and eliminate burdensome regulations hurting growth and innovation. And, I will support policies that help families and businesses prosper. Illegal Immigration Our border is unsecured and wide open. Thousands of illegal immigrants, drugs, and weapons breach our border every day. Illicit drugs, like fentanyl, are killing Americans. And human trafficking is a stain on our country. We must secure the border to keep Americans safe. I will make it a priority to finish the wall and give our Border Patrol the resources, boots on the ground, and technology necessary to secure our border. Energy Independence America’s energy policy is a critical national security priority. The United States must be energy independent, and stop importing oil from our enemies like Venezuela and allowing Russia to determine the cost of putting gas in our cars and heating our homes. I will support permitting the finish of the Keystone Pipeline and others, increasing domestic oil and gas production, and replenishing our Strategic Oil Reserve that Biden has drained for purely political purposes. Foreign Policy American exceptionalism is real and an envy of the world. Our men and women in uniform are the strongest, best trained, and most experienced military in the history of the world. We should always project strength and leadership on the world stage. I will ensure America’s interests are placed before our adversaries, support our allies in their time of need, and demand our military is equipped with the best training and resources available. Furthermore, I will oppose costly non-essential initiatives that weaken our military, such as SEG and DEI. Our freedom is vulnerable. Education Progressives and liberal bureaucrats are attacking parental rights, our schools, and our kids. Parents know what is best for their children and their education. I will oppose all efforts that allow sexually explicit materials of any kind to be taught in our schools. I will protect the integrity of women’s sports. I will oppose political indoctrination curriculums. And I will support school choice because no child should suffer in a failing school because of their zip code. Public Safety Concern about the rising tide of crime is palpable throughout the nation, and North Carolina is no exception. As a resident, I firmly believe in the necessity of fully funding our police departments and protecting qualified immunity to ensure the safety and security of our communities. It’s imperative that we have the resources to address criminal activities swiftly and justly. Those who break the law should face the appropriate consequences and serve their time in jail. Ensuring a robust and well-supported law enforcement presence is essential for the well-being of all North Carolinians. Civil Liberties The foundational principles of our nation, enshrined in the Constitution, are under increasing pressure in today’s evolving landscape. These protections, which have long stood as pillars of our democracy, face threats from various quarters. It is of utmost importance to remain vigilant against any form of overreach that might undermine these rights. I am committed to standing as a staunch defender of these principles, ensuring that the liberties and freedoms granted to us remain unassailable and endure for generations to come.	”
—Christian Castelli’s campaign website (2024)

2022

Christian Castelli did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign website

Castelli's campaign website stated the following:

“	The Economy Fiscal responsibility is fundamental to a strong economy and prosperity. Democrats in Congress keep spending money we don't have - making our economy worse for everyone. I will stop reckless government spending that is causing runaway inflation and never vote to increase taxes. Energy Independence I support an energy independent America - including increasing domestic oil and gas production. Accessible, reliable, and affordable energy is essential to our economy and national security. Education Parents know what is best for their children’s education. I support parental choice in education and stand against political indoctrination in curriculum. Illegal Immigration We must secure the border to keep American's safe. America’s immigration policy must serve the needs of our nation and those who would become citizens. We must finish the wall and support the Border Patrol. Public Safety Crime is at an all time high in the nation and in North Carolina. I support fully funding our police and putting criminals in jail - where they belong. Civil Liberties Our Constitutional rights are being threatened everyday. I will always fight against government overreach and protect your right to assemble. I will always stand up for workers and against unconstitutional vaccination mandates that threaten people’s jobs. Foreign Policy America is an exceptional nation and should project strength and leadership on the world stage. I will ensure America’s interests are placed before our adversaries and always support our allies in their time of need.	”
—Christian Castelli's campaign website (2022)

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Christian Castelli campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	U.S. House North Carolina District 6	Lost primary	$833,387	$835,888
2022	U.S. House North Carolina District 6	Lost general	$928,502	$921,812
Grand total			$1,761,889	$1,757,700
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete

See also

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Candidate

U.S. House North Carolina District 6

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Footnotes

[show]

North Carolina's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Ted Budd (R)

Thom Tillis (R)

Representatives

District 1

Donald Davis (D)

District 2

Deborah Ross (D)

District 3

Gregory Murphy (R)

District 4

Valerie Foushee (D)

District 5

Virginia Foxx (R)

District 6

Kathy Manning (D)

District 7

David Rouzer (R)

District 8

Dan Bishop (R)

District 9

Richard Hudson (R)

District 10

Patrick McHenry (R)

District 11

Chuck Edwards (R)

District 12

Alma Adams (D)

District 13

Wiley Nickel (D)

District 14

Jeff Jackson (D)

Republican Party (9)

Democratic Party (7)