NC Politics in the News – Election Analysis -North Carolina House and Senate Races

March 15, 2012

Pardon Our Dust

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The fate for 31 House and Senate members has already been decided- 23 House members, and 7 Senate members filed unopposed in the 2012 election. The House is able to go ahead and welcome three new members, Democrat Duane Hall of the 11th District, as well as Republicans Donny Lambeth, of the 75th District, and Carla Cunningham, of the 106th District who did not have anyone else file in their respective district.

 

Nine Democrats and five Republicans currently in the House, and three Democrats and four Republicans from the Senate only have primary opponents and will thus face a decision on their future on May 8th. In total, 21 Democrats and 19 Republicans have no opposition from the other party in the House. The Senate has five Democrats and 10 Republicans with no opposition.

 

Not every incumbent will have it that easy, however. In the House, Districts 2, 4, and 73 are looking at incumbent primaries. Jim Crawford and Winkie Wilkins are in a Democratic primary in the 2nd District, Jimmy Dixon and Efton Sager will have a Republican primary in the 4th District, and Republicans Mark Hollo and Darrell McCormick will be competing in the 73rd District primary, as well.

 

PRIMARY RACES TO WATCH:

Senate District 18Chad Barefoot, former Policy Advisor to Rep. Stam, House member Rep. Glen Bradley, and Michael Schriver, a small business owner will face off in a Republican Primary to compete against incumbent Doug Berger in November. Schriver lost to Berger in 2010.

 

House District 110 will hold a Republican primary rematch of Representative Kelly Hastings and former Representative Pearl Burris Floyd. Floyd held the seat in 2008 and was beaten by Rep. Hastings in 2010.

 

Representative Chuck McGrady, of the 117th District, has a Reepublican primary against the mayor of Mills Rivers, Roger Snyder. Grass Roots North Carolina, a political advocacy group, has spoken out against McGrady for his stance on gun issues and is raising money for Snyder. 

 

IN THE NEWS:

The Daily News: Varying reasons behind unopposed races

Local and state political pundits disagree as to why Onslow County’s three state lawmakers are unopposed in this year’s election. Republicans say the people are happy, while Democrats say redistricting of voter maps frustrated possible candidates.

 

WRAL: Glazier leaves DPI race for House

Democratic House Minority Whip Rick Glazier, D-Cumberland, is dropping out of the race for Superintendent of Public Instruction, opting instead to run for a sixth term in the state House.

 

WRAL: Wake Dems head off primary fight

Rep. Grier Martin said today he won’t run against fellow Democrat Deb Ross in a May primary. The two were drawn into the same district in the new GOP-drawn redistricting plan, a plan Martin called “abusive.”

 

Winston-Salem Journal: Bonham challenges residency of primary opponents in House 72

Democrat Jimmie Bonham on Tuesday challenged the eligibility of his two primary opponents to run in N.C. House District 72, saying the ment don’t live in the district.

 

The Daily Tar Heel: 2011 UNC graduate Ben Keilman runs for NC House of Representatives

Keilman, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science and a minor in naval science, said he never saw himself pursuing a career as a politician. But he is running for the Republican nomination in District 118 of the N.C. House of Representatives.

 

WRAL: Blue to run for Senate, not Governor

Wake County Sen. Dan Blue said Tuesday that he plans to seek re-election this fall and won’t pursue the Democratic nomination for governor.

 

Richmond Co. Daily Journal: Two dems, two reps fight for N.C. Senate seat in District 25

Two Democrats and two Republicans are competing for the chance to represent District 25 in the North Carolina State Senate, which includes Rhicmond County.  The seat is currently held by Sen. Bill Purcell.

 

Winston-Salem Journal: Bumper crop of candidates running for legislature

The political planets aligned just right this year to bring out a bumper crop of candidates for the May 8 primary in Forsyth County–and elsewhere in North Carolina, analysts say.