Democrats in North Carolina are getting antsy about the US Senate race for Richard Burr’s seat. No candidate has emerged and everybody’s favorite pick, US Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx, has said he’s not running. In the vacuum, rumors and speculation run wild. So let me speculate–and explain–a bit.
Democrats need to chill. There’s plenty of time and enough prospective candidates out there. In 2010, Elaine Marshall didn’t get into the race against Burr until September, 2009. In 2008, Kay Hagan didn’t agree to run until October, 2007.
The DSCC is still hot for former Senator Kay Hagan. However, they are about the only ones. Since the election, enthusiasm for Hagan in North Carolina has virtually evaporated. Hagan almost beat Thom Tillis in a Republican wave because her campaign localized the race, making it about Tillis and public education, not because she was a great candidate. Besides, Tillis was a weak candidate with an ego bigger than his political skills. In contrast, Richard Burr is likable and comes across as thoughtful and smart, despite his pander to the right in opposing Loretta Lynch.
If Hagan wants to be the candidate to run against Richard, she needs to prove herself. Instead of hanging out at Harvard, she should be down here in North Carolina fighting the GOP and articulating a message. Her recent interview on a Boston public radio show illustrated how disconnected from voters she really is. She’s still blaming the Kochs and Obama for her loss, when she needs to tell people what she wants to do for them moving forward, not what she did for them in the past. So far, she’s given no compelling reason to get excited about her candidacy. Her main qualification is her ability to raise money. That may be enough for the Washington insiders but most North Carolinians know that’s not enough to win.
State Treasurer Janet Cowell could certainly mount a credible campaign. She’s done a great job and is whip smart. Cowell has been relatively low key during her tenure and would need to build more of a political network, but she’s got time to do that. She brings a healthy combination of experience. She served on the Raleigh City Council and in the state Senate before getting elected treasurer.
Senate Minority Leader Dan Blue’s been mentioned. Blue ran in 2002 so he knows what a statewide campaign looks like. An African-American, his candidacy would provide a diverse ballot at the top of ticket, assuming Hillary Clinton is the presidential nominee. However, he’s in a secure seat and a loss to Burr would probably end his political career. In addition, Blue has never been much of a fundraiser.
For years, people have speculated that state Representative Grier Martin would move up the ladder. He’s got a solid profile as a progressive leader with a military background. He’s likable, smart and comes from a politically connected family. It’s a bit of a leap from legislature to US Senate, but certainly not unheard of, especially in an era when more money is raised by third parties than candidates.
My choice is still University of North Carolina President Tom Ross. Earlier this week, Ross had a powerful op-ed in the News & Observer that highlighted the importance of higher education in today’s economy and chastised Republicans for short-sighted budget cuts to the UNC system. Ross has the gravitas to mount a serious campaign in a short amount of time. He not only has the background in education, he served as a judge and administrator of the courts. He also served as executive director of one of the state’s largest foundations, offering grants to communities and programs across the state. With the contacts from his combined experience, he could put together the money for a race in short order.
Ross has said he will serve as UNC president until the end of the year. However, since the board forced his retirement, he’s under no obligation to stay. He wouldn’t pay a political price for leaving early. And if he decided to stay, he could still get the resources together before the filing deadline in February. Besides, the third parties could supplement his effort if he felt obligated to wait until January.
Other potential candidates are out there. Former Rep. Mel Watt, Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, has the experience and contacts. Watt would be 71 by the time he was elected and most people think he wants to finish out is career at the housing agency. Former Lt. Governor Walter Dalton lost to McCrory but had little time to put together a campaign after Gov. Bev Perdue’s late exit. Dalton was a powerful state Senator before becoming lieutenant governor and now is President of Isothermal Community College, further evidence of experience and commitment to public service. State Senator Jeff Jackson, a veteran, has proven a to be a smart communicator and is certainly a rising star but he has yet to serve a complete term in the legislature. And there’s still time for other candidates to emerge.
So chill, Democrats. There’s plenty of time for a candidate to emerge. Burr will have real challenge and the Democratic ticket will be strong.
Thomas Mills is the founder and publisher of PoliticsNC.com. Before beginning PoliticsNC, Thomas spent twenty years as a political and public affairs consultant. Learn more >
Didn’t Cowell do some not so nice things with State Employees Pensions.
Like what? If you’re going to bring up something, provide the facts.
I wrote my name in out of disgust with Hagan for her position on the Keystone and either her ignorance of research done at NC State that would provide a good deal of renewable natural gas from those hogs. I wrote a speech earlier today. I’ll print it out and read it to my youtube channel. It is entirely unlikely that since I have only the creation of a model nation, and World Citizen’s Transcendian Passport that my studies of governance would be allowed to be applied. It is my position that the Military is to serve the people, not the other way around. I am convince that unless we ban weapons of mass murder across the board they will likely be used and used sooner than later since sanctions lead to war, and in a sane world the Security Council at the UN would already be negotiating to end the Provocations of Putin. Russian jets are flying into NATO airspace with their transponders off. Tanks are targets. Remember in closing to tweet at least in support of Transcendian policies. And again it was sanctions over Japan’s aggressions in Manchuria that caused the attack on Pearl.
P.S. Thank you Editor Thomas Mills for the common sense column. If Tom Ross confesses to attempting to raise the price to corporations of research in light of continuing tuition hikes, he will gain a great deal of support.
Kay Hagan has very little credibility. Democrats who promote her need to talk to people in the party who found her to be cowardly and dull before and will not support her now.
McCrony took $175K out of Alamance County in 2011-12 cycle, compared with $1700 or so for Dalton. That is orders of magnitude! Just use that as a marker. I suspect same was true for other counties. Forget Dalton. Dumplin (Bev) really did us no favors, anywhere.
Regarding Dalton, he was an excellent choice for the state. Had the voters watched the debates and received no other information, this would have been evident. The true McCrory was obvious during the PBS debate. He has a cocky and smirky attitude regarding the state and its citizens. In fact, he didn’t have a response to many questions. His attitude was evident in his physic, he acted like he was being roused from a sleep and found such bothersome. If you can secure a copy of the debates, please do so. Everyone needs to see it.
Yes, McCrory is doing somethings but that’s because his handlers have apprised him of the situation and told him what to do. He’s fairly good on taking orders but we knew that due to his relationship with Pope.
I absolutely do not agree that Hagan ran a good campaign. She certainly ran a lot of ads about education and NCGA or is Speaker.and she ran a lot of ads about womens rights etc..
She mentioned jobs in passing in an image ad….not one laying the job loss in this state in the area of manufacturing at the feet of GOP policies both nationally and in NC. No advocacy ads for the under employed…no plan or proposals for employment in this State. Damn little if any about the middle class shrinking in what use to be the very heart of this State. She proposed or advocated nothing. Hagan got beat by a light weight intellectually light opponent. And she is actually be talked about for another go? No wonder the Democratic Party in this State has a major case of E.D.
I reluctantly agree. She did prove to be a disappointment.
Keep suggesting. So far, none catch my attention.
There is certainly plenty time, but now that the actual Clinton campaign has launched (see naming of South Carolina state campaign director), the Senate candidate must bring balance to the ticket and be able to provide their own funding as the Marquee of Clinton/Cooper will absolutely absorb all available funds.
Kay Hagan would naturally fit that requirement, even though a Mike McIntyre would bring a broader support.
Unfortunately, possibly the best suited candidate is running around the state wasting their time trying to be a spoiler to Roy Cooper.
Regardless the candidate, it will all be about coattails of the marquee candidates.