RALEIGH, N.C. – If early numbers are any indication it looks like North Carolina is due
for some very close political races in 2010.

On the generic ballot for the state legislature Republicans lead 45-44 and when it comes
to Congress it’s an almost equally close 45-43 Republican advantage.

Republicans are faring well for two key reasons. First, they have a significant edge with
independents. On the legislative ballot they have a 48-27 lead with them and on the
Congressional one it’s 48-29. Second, GOP voters are more unified heading into 2010
than Democrats are. On the legislative ballot 88% of Republicans commit to voting for
their party while only 79% of Democrats do. When it comes to Congressional voting the
figures are 90% and 77% for the two parties.

One reason the state looks so competitive for next year is that suburban swing voters,
who tended to go Democratic last year, have now shown a shift back toward Republicans.

They say they’ll vote for GOP legislative candidates by a 50-40 margin.

“The way things are shaping up there is a real chance Republicans could take control of
the legislature in North Carolina next year,” said Dean Debnam, President of Public
Policy Polling. “It’s important for Democratic voters not to be complacent because if
they don’t show up at the polls there could be real consequences for the party for the next
decade if the GOP gets a hold of the redistricting process.”

PPP will release numbers tomorrow looking at voter perceptions about corruption in
North Carolina and how that issue has shifted over the last few decades.

PPP surveyed 711 North Carolina voters from November 9th to 11th. The survey’s
margin of error is +/-3.7%. Other factors, such as refusal to be interviewed and
weighting, may introduce additional error that is more difficult to quantify.

by Chris Cowperthwaite
NBC17

CARY, N.C. – The Town of Cary is offering one-stop shopping for anyone trying to figure out who to vote for.

The Oct. 6 Election Day for municipal and school board elections is less than a month away.

All day Tuesday, candidates filed into Cary town council chambers to tape their segment of a candidates forum.

“Over the years, we’ve found that more and more Cary citizens who vote rely on this forum to get that information that they’re interested in because it’s their questions that are being asked,” said town spokesperson Susan Moran.

The North Carolina Center for Voter Education moderates the forum.

This year, many common themes for Cary were front and center including education, transit and attracting small business.

“We can’t do it by picking up the phone and calling them, we can’t do it by sending a brief little note or something like that, we have to look them in the eye,” said Terry Thorne, who’s running for Town Council District A.  “We have to give them specific advantages of living, of doing business in Cary.”

Of course, growth issues are always huge in any Cary election, too.

“I feel like we’ve lost our way.  We’ve forgotten what Cary’s supposed to look like,” said Cynthia Sinkez, another candidate for District A.  “I don’t think that we’re following the formula that most residents want, and I do think we can get back to it.”

Some candidates weren’t pulling punches, either, when talking about the incumbent, in District A’s case, that is Jennifer Robinson.

“Somewhere along the way, she got off track and began to side more with the interests of developers than with her own District A constituents,” said District A candidate Lori Bush.  “And during Mayor McAllister’s administration, she voted with the pro-developer policies 94% of the time.”

“She is misrepresenting my work on the council, and everybody should be aware of that,” countered Robinson.  “Every time a development has come to the Town of Cary in District A I have sat with the applicant, I have worked with the applicant to make sure it is the best project.  I listen to the constituents, I find out what their concerns are.”

Cary will start airing the forum in its entirety on Friday on the town’s government access channel TV 11.

For those who want to watch specific parts of the forum, or focus on one race in particular, the town will have the entire thing broken up into sections that you can stream on its website.

WAKE FOREST, N.C. — The Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Board of Commissioners Candidates Forum at the Wake Forest Town Hall on Tuesday, Oct. 13 at 7 p.m.

All participating candidates will be asked the same questions and have an opportunity to respond. Each candidate will also be given the opportunity to make concluding remarks.

Town Board elections are scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009. The forum is open to the general public to attend, but in case you can’t attend, the forum will be broadcast live on Community Channel 10.

The Town of Wake Forest will then re-broadcast the forum in the days leading up to the election. For more information, please contact the Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce at (919) 556-1519.

Winston-Salem Journal Editorial
North Carolina lawmakers don’t need four-year terms.

Almost half of the members of the N.C. House of Representatives have co-sponsored a bill that asks voters to extend their terms, and those of state senators, from two years to four. A constitutional amendment would be needed.

Bill supporters cite the physical strains and costs associated with running for re-election every two years and say that longer terms would fix both problems.

Extending legislative terms would not fix the money problem, however, and there are better ways to reduce the current strain on legislators. And, even if both claims were correct, the benefits would not be worth the loss in public voice that would result from the change.

Speaking to the News & Record of Greensboro, Rep. Hugh Holliman, D-Davidson and the House majority leader, said that doubling legislators’ terms would cut in half the expenses of running campaigns. While the expense of legislative campaigns is a major concern, Holliman’s calculation is simplistic.

Before the Republican Party became competitive in legislative races during the 1980s, it cost candidates very little to run for the House and Senate. But fierce partisan competition in some districts now runs up the costs because the stakes are so high. If terms were doubled in length, the stakes would grow, as well, and more money would flow into the small percentage of districts where two parties are truly competitive.

Campaigns for four-year terms would almost certainly begin earlier, too. Candidates would begin to raise money well ahead of the election year and, we suspect, not much would change. Legislators would still be raising money constantly, and the wear and tear on them would be changed little, if at all.

There are better ways to reduce both campaign costs and the physical strain on lawmakers. One proposed several years ago in the Senate would move the May primary back to the end of summer, probably in early September. Filing for office could be held in late July.

Thus, legislators would not begin to campaign until late spring or early summer. Shorter campaigns would require less money, and legislators would spend much less time campaigning. September primaries would have the added benefit of pushing legislators to finish their sessions more quickly in election years so they could return home to build support. While a limit on today’s long sessions is a different issue with a variety of justifications, such a limit would greatly reduce the physical strain connected with serving in the legislature.

North Carolina’s biennial legislative elections keep our elected officials close to the public they serve. Four years is too much time between elections, and a system with those terms would be less responsive to voters.

Candidates in one North Carolina city are receiving fines for leaving their political signs up too long.

WASHINGTON – The Republican National Committee is taking out a $5 million line of credit to help Senate Republican incumbents who are facing re-election difficulties.

The national party committee plans to give $2 million directly to the National Republican Senatorial Committee for the final days before the Nov. 4 elections, party officials said Tuesday. It also plans to spend $3 million in coordination with several Senate Republican campaigns. Officials would not disclose which races they intend to assist with the money.

At least eight Republican-held seats could switch to the Democratic Party, according to polls. The NRSC has been outspent by its Democratic Party counterpart. It also has been short of cash to give a hand to its troubled candidates.

Get the list of candidates for next Tuesday’s election.

RALEIGH, N.C. – With the recent addition of Mayor Pat McCrory to the agenda, all major candidates (with the exception of Senator Kay Hagan) will appear at the N.C. Bankers Association’s 2008 Management Team Conference at The Umstead Hotel, Cary, on Oct. 26 to 28.

The following candidates for U.S. Senate, N.C. Governor, Lt. Governor, and Treasurer will be on hand:

• U.S. Senate – Elizabeth Dole – appearing at 8:45 a.m. on Monday, October 27
• Governor – Beverly Perdue at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, October 28 and Pat McCrory on Sunday, October 26 at 6:15 p.m.
• Lt. Governor – Walter Dalton and Robert Pittenger – appearing together at 11 a.m. on Monday, October 27
• Treasurer – Janet Cowell and Bill Daughtridge – appearing together at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, October 28

The North Carolina Bankers Association brings together all categories of banking institutions to best represent the interests of this rapidly changing industry. With 150 members, it has served all North Carolina bankers since 1897.

APEX, N.C. — Wake County candidates will have a “Meet and Greet Rally” from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday at Oak Ridge Farm, 1025 White Oak Creek Drive in Apex.

Hotdogs and drinks will be served and families are invited. The event will be held rain or shine.

Local Wake County Commissioner candidates, Kenn Gardner, Larry Tilley and Venita Peyton will be in attendance to discuss the issues facing Wake County. Apex Mayor Keith Weatherly, Holly Springs Mayor Dick Sears and Sheriff Donnie Harrison will also be in attendance.  The event is not a fundraiser.

DIRECTIONS:

Hwy 64 W – Right on Green Level Church Rd (1st light after Hwy 55 exit)

1.5 miles – Turn left on Secluded Acres Road

Follow road to right at end – Turns into White Oak Creek

Farm on the right