• Angus Lamond

It takes guts to run for Congress. It takes a whole lot more to be the only Democrat in the race. Mecklenburg County Commissioner Jennifer Roberts is battling Robert Pittenger for control of the 9th Congressional District, an area Republicans have ruled since 1952. Come November, she may find herself making history. Until then, she's traveling North Carolina and touting her job-creation platform. One of her only breaks? Catching the last taping of The Daily Show during the Democratic National Convention. We knew she had to have a good sense of humor to look guys like Pittenger and his July run-off opponent Jim Pendergraph in the eye.