Rep. Rick Catlin gets into it with film advocate at early voting

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Tensions were high this weekend, as things got heated outside the New Hanover County Government Center Saturday during early voting.

An argument between a film advocate and a state representative has folks talking.

It was an argument between Rep. Rick Catlin (R-20th District) and film crew member Shaun O’Rourke.

“If I cause controversy, it might be that I’m doing something right,” Catlin said during a candidate forum hosted by WWAY and HQR News 91.3fm a few weeks ago.

If that’s the case, he did something right Saturday.

“He did call me stupid, and he did call me a liar,” said Shaun O’Rourke, a film crew member who was standing outside the Government Center advocating and directing his message at Catlin.

Catlin, though, has a different recollection of their encounter.

“I don’t know why he said that,” Catlin told us by phone Sunday. “If I tell you no, I’m making him look bad, so I don’t know why he said that.”

Witnesses say the two men started getting into it, and Catlin began talking about state constitutional law

“Rick Catlin did not agree with what was on my sign,” O’Rourke said.

The sign O’Rourke held claimed no one has killed more jobs in New Hanover County than Catlin.

“I tried to explain to him that I had voted for the film incentives,” Catlin said.

Catlin did vote for an amendment sponsored by Rep. Ted Davis (R-19th District) to extend film incentives for a year, but before that he voted for statewide reform that eliminated the incentive program for film as it had existed for year.

“He clearly flip flops on the issue,” O’Rourke said of Catlin. “He was pandering.”

O’Rourke says when he was standing in front of the Government Center with his sign, he was just letting people know what he was going through.

Catlin says he respects the film worker’s right to stand up for what he believes in, but says there is more.

“It’s a concern of many people when voters walking through the line feel pressured like that,” Catlin said. “I was trying to look after the voters.”

O’Rourke says as a result of the legislation overhauling film incentives in North Carolina, he’s packing up and moving to Georgia.

Catlin is challenged in his reelection bid by Democrat Betsy Jordan.

Early voting continue through Nov. 1. Election Day is Nov. 4.