Some observations about Tuesday's primary:-- It was not a good day for Charlotte's Black Political Caucus. Despite distributing thousands of copies of its endorsements, a slate pushed by state Rep. Beverly Earle and her counter-caucus were the ones celebrating Tuesday night.
The Earle slate, consisting of Sheriff Chipp Bailey, Sen. Malcolm Graham, Rep. Becky Carney and House candidate Rodney Moore, beat the Black Caucus slate all around. And while the Black Caucus-endorsed Senate candidate Elaine Marshall carried Mecklenburg, most African American precincts went for Ken Lewis, a black attorney from Chapel Hill.
-- A sign of trouble for Democratic U.S. Rep. Larry Kissell? While he won 63 percent of the vote in the 8th District, his little-known opponent, Nancy Shakir of Fayetteville, won Mecklenburg County with 51 percent.
-- Turnout in Mecklenburg was one of the lowest in the state at 7 percent.
-- State Rep. Nick Mackey -- another candidate endorsed by the Black Caucus -- carried just two of the 21 precincts in his state House district.
-- Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Cal Cunningham needs to work in Mecklenburg. He finished third behind Marshall and Lewis. The handful of precincts he carried were generally suburban areas, and he didn't carry them by much. He won one with 12 votes to Marshall's 11.
-- What to expect from a June 22 runoff when people are on vacation and otherwise occupied? Not much. In 2008, when North Carolina had a runoff for state Labor commissioner, less than 1 percent of Mecklenburg voters showed up. Statewide, turnout was 1.8 percent.
-- Tom Jensen of Public Policy Polling, a Democrat-leaning firm, found plenty for Democrats to worry about in the Senate results.
"What the turnout numbers do show is a disturbing lack of interest from Democratic voters," he wrote. "The 426,000 who cast a ballot in the Senate primary represents a 32 percent decline from the 628,000 who did in 2002, and this is despite the fact that after the 2008 election cycle there are more registered Democrats in the state than ever."
16 comments:
Why was Larry Kissell's opponent "little-known", Jim? Because YOU and the rest of the Observer's so-called "reporters" are LAZY. All you did this entire election cycle was cut-and-paste campaign finance report information.
Where would a person go to check out some of the regional political races a day after the primary? It sure isn’t on this site. This is pathetic. It would have been nice if this site had listed the races in the region with the actual numbers. I imagine I will eventually hear by the best news source, word of mouth. I don't have to be anonymous. My name is Harold Moses and this site sux.
The Black Political Caucus which has been questionably ill for many years finally sucumbed to NickMackeyitis last evening. May the organization rest in peace.
It's hard to believe that anyone could endorse Nick Mackey. My hat's off to the 99th district's voters for being well-informed.
If Harold "this site sux" Moses is still on, you can get all the data at the state Board of Elections website - duh? www.sboe.state.nc.us
The so-called 'low Democratic turnout' does NOT indicate low enthusiasm in the Party or our supporters. Other than a few races, like one in Mecklenburg, Democrats are content with our choices. We known the real fight is in November and we will answer the bell when the time comes. It was the tea baggers that failed to win anything. The Angry Old Republicans, AKA: tea party blowhards, did not affect any race. They DO NOT MATTER!
So Kissell won his first primary in 2006 against an unknown WITH the help of Charlotte activists, Move On, DFA and the Black Political Caucus and his 54% win is called a mandate and testimony to the power of progressive voices.
Then Kissell DESTROYS an unknown in 2010 with 63% while all those same voices work against him, yet his 26 point margin of victory is suddenly a sign of trouble?
How about hard evidence of the irrelevance of all those same wing nuts that never understood the 8th and never will. Kissell gets it.
@ "little-known" in Comment #1.
Your point about the media not doing it's job might have more merit if your candidate Shakir didn't write for the Fayetteville Observer in her home county which she still lost by 20 points.
It is so sad that the voters would even consider Tim D"Annunzio for their representative. Doesn't that say something about the intelligence of the voters? But, the Republican party is permitting the right wing extremists to take over the party and chase moderates from their ranks. It looks like Wing-nuts and Teabaggers are the future of the Republican party, like it or not.
I think it says something about the intelligence of voters that they would vote in an obvious liar, radical, and flim-flam man to the white house. It's not surprising to me that they would swing too far the other way after their eyes are opened.
"I think it says something about the intelligence of voters that they would vote in an obvious liar, radical, and flim-flam man to the white house. It's not surprising to me that they would swing too far the other way after their eyes are opened."
Yes, but what do you REALLY think of George Bush?
Charlotte's Black Political Caucus my sweet white behind.
We represent the extortionists guild, the extortionists guild, the extortionists guild, and in the name of the extortionists guild... we'd wish to welcome you to buy some advertising.
LOL! I heard it on good authority that Michael Lawson couldn't win "Dog Catcher" in a three-way race with a Pit Bull and rabid Racoon.
You people talking about Cyborg Michael Lawson need to shut up. He's from NEW YORK CITY!
Thanks for the county-by-county comparisons in some of these interesting primary contests. This is something folks in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County should pay close attention to if they wish to understand the nuances and vicissitudes of politics in the Old North State. Sometimes the results across county lines can be like night and day.
In the 8th District Republican primary for Congress, for example, Harold Johnson ran a strong campaign in the western sections of this unusually configured congressional district, but over to the east in Cumberland and Hoke counties, Johnson is still on the outside looking in.
A couple of trips to Fayetteville and Raeford to sample some delicacies of regional cuisine from Cape Fear barbecue and seafood might shorten the road from Iredell and Cabarrus counties and get him a foothold Down East, that is, of course, if his campaign managers don't have him on too strict a diet for the next few weeks.
Yes, I remember when I went from Charlotte to Fayetteville as a greenhorn editorial writer for The Observer--er, read that The Fayetteville Observer--and faced my first major "issues" question: "Fried or broiled for your seafood?"
Elective politics in North Carolina is endlessly fascinating when it comes to learning the latest trends from town to city to county--why it's just as fascinating as physics yet the election "laboratories" are right here in the Old North State.
Charlotte Observer readers are fortunate to have a great team of political reporters and editors to keep them apprised of the latest ripples in the political streams of the mountains, Piedmont and coast including the neighborhood creeks of the Queen City. So rather than complain and gripe, disgruntled readers should try traveling down a few back roads to discover for themselves North Carolina's amazing geographic, cultural and historical diversity.
that shakir lady got 51% of the vote in Mecklenburg because of the black vote. blacks will vote for the black candidate no matter how lousy the candidate. it is basically voter racism and very much alive.
The Black Political Caucus blows black @#$%!!!
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