Candidates are usually coy about how they expect to do on Election Day.

Even if they think they're going to win, they rarely say so publically. They might say something bland about feeling good about the campaign they've run or looking forward to seeing the results on election night.

But not Patrick McHenry.

McHenry, the incumbent in the 10th Congressional District, sent out a release today saying he will "trounce" his Republican primary opponent, Lance Sigmon. The release cites a poll showing McHenry with a big lead in the GOP primary.

A TV ad from U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry calls attacks by Republican rival Lance Sigmon "despicable."

U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry may sue a challenger over a TV ad.

The Cherryville Republican has threatened legal action against primary opponent Lance Sigmon over a 30-second ad that accuses him of "revealing troop positions" in Baghdad.

The ad says two Americans died after McHenry posted a video on his Congressional Web site about an attack on the Green Zone. It claims McHenry could face 10 years in prison because of an espionage act that prohibits aiding the enemy.

A letter from McHenry's attorney, Kelsey Williams of Hickory, tells Sigmon to "cease and desist" airing the ad, titled "Two Bit."

"Representative McHenry has never alluded to nor mentioned any positions of troops," said the letter, made public Monday. "Also, said ad asserts that the aforementioned video caused the death of two Americans. This statement is on its face false."

Williams also said the suggestion that McHenry violated espionage laws is also false. (Char-O)

Paul O'Connor says U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry has had his "macaca moment."

The Winston-Salem Journal columnist writes that McHenry's recent speech denigrating a security guard in Baghdad's Green Zone as a "two-bit security guard" is reminiscent of George Allen's disparaging remark about an Indian-American.

McHenry's denigration of the security guard appeared in the same kind of venue — a Republican Lincoln County dinner. Apparently, he felt comfortable among friends, as Allen did, in making his arrogant and caustic remark. The problem with this kind of event, however, is that people who aren’t friends often attend and videotape them. McHenry's opponent, Lance Sigmon, had someone there who video-recorded the speech. It went up on youtube.com.

O'Connor says the speech, and McHenry's posting of his own video showing where the attack happened, play into his Republican Congressional opponent's efforts to "draw a distinction between his military service and McHenry's lack of it."

As of today, the video has been viewed 17,810 times.

U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry has pulled a video of himself in the Green Zone.

On Friday, the Cherryville Republican posted a video on his Congressional Web site in which he discussed a rocket attack that occurred shortly after he tried to get into a gym.

"According to our folks here, there were eleven rockets, uh, one hit just over my head, another hit a parking lot, and another hit the gym," he says in the video, which has since been pulled.

The vice president of the group VoteVets, an advocacy group that aims to help elect veterans critical of the execution of the war in Iraq, wrote a post critical of the video Monday.

"The bottom line is that whoever launched that strike could take the information McHenry provided and use it to kill Americans in the Green Zone," wrote Brandon Friedman. "This is why professionals operating in a combat zone are trained not to reveal any battle damage after an attack."

In the May 6 Republican primary, McHenry faces Lance Sigmon, a retired Air Force colonel. Daniel Johnson, a Navy veteran, is running for the Democratic nomination against Hickory businessman Steve Ivester.

Earlier: McHenry takes heat for description of guard.

U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry's description of a security guard caused a flap.

At a Lincoln County Republicans event, McHenry told a story about being turned away from the gym in the Green Zone during a trip to Baghdad because he did not have his ID on him.

"Sure enough, the guard wouldn't let me in," McHenry told the crowd, according to an audio tape. "He said I didn't have the correct credentials," McHenry continued. "It's 5 o'clock in the morning and I haven't had sleep. I was not very happy with this two-bit security guard."

McHenry said he then spoke with guard's supervisor, but 30 minutes later was escorted back to his room.

Lance Sigmon, McHenry's opponent in the upcoming primary posted a video of the speech on YouTube, saying McHenry showed "obvious contempt" for the guard, and McHenry later apologized.

"I regret the poor choice of words I used to describe the foreign contractor," he said. (Char-O)

Lance Sigmon will run against U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry.

In a Christmas video message on his Web site, the retired Air Force officer says he will challenge McHenry in the Republican primary.

"I served my country for 21 years in the Air Force and would be privileged to serve again in Congress," he says.

He says he has been concerned about the "respect and attention" the district has received.

Sigmon earned a degree in accounting and economics from Western Carolina University in 1985 and a law degree from Wake Forest University. He then served as a judge advocate general in the Air Force.

He formed an exploratory committee earlier this fall.

Hat Tip: WRAL

U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry may have two more challengers.

According to the Hickory Daily Record, retired Air Force officer Lance Sigmon, 48, recently formed an exploratory committee to look into a primary race against the Cherryville Republican.

Meantime, retired Hickory businessman Steve Ivester has said he will also run as a Democrat. Ivester ran for Hickory City Council in 2005. 

Former Wake assistant district attorney Daniel Johnson has already announced he will run for the Democratic nomination.