Sen. Tamara Barringer of Cary is apparently considering a run for statewide office, according to the News & Observer. Barringer, an attorney who teaches at the UNC Chapel Hill business school, was elected to the State Senate in 2012, representing the 17th District, which is comprised of suburban Southwest Wake County. She’s considered a rising star in the GOP and has occasionally bucked her own party, usually when it comes to issues affecting Wake County. Recently, she voted against the Senate’s gas tax legislation.
Though the N&O article seems to focus on a potential Barringer bid for Attorney General, there are actually a number of offices, all in the Council of State, for which she could run. If Janet Cowell runs for Senate, Barringer could run for State Treasurer. Alternatively, she could run against Beth Wood for Auditor, a position she’d be suited for given her background teaching accounting law. Elaine Marshall hasn’t raised much money and could retire, so Secretary of State is also a possibility.
But it’s a potential candidacy for Attorney General that has most people chattering. It’s also the race that would be hardest for Barringer to win. Josh Stein is the Democratic nominee in everything but name and has raised a boatload of money. He would be tough to beat. But if anyone has the right profile to beat him, it’s Barringer – a woman who comes across as a reasonable moderate, with suburban appeal.
Barringer says she’s looking at all options. Among those options, of course, is to seek a third term in the State Senate, which Senate GOPers might prefer. Barringer’s district is swingy; it tilts Republican but in an open seat race and in a presidential year, voters would give a Democrat healthy consideration. It’s definitely a seat Democrats need to win if they hope to win back the upper chamber.
Whatever Barringer decides to do, you’re going to be hearing a lot more from her in the future. Especially – especially – if she runs for Attorney General. Josh Stein would be a tough opponent, but if she wins she’ll have knocked off one of the Democrats’ most promising rising stars and cemented herself as a force to be reckoned with.
John Wynne is the “conservative voice” at PoliticsNC, where he also provides polling analysis and commentary on legislative campaigns. When not writing about politics, he enjoys gardening and listening to opera. Contact: johncwynne@gmail.com.
She’s more moderate than her extremist GOP colleagues, but in her past campaigns, she has manifested the same pathology infecting all candidates in her party, i.e., an inability to resist making personal attacks on her opponent, a penchant for twisting the truth into unrecognizable form, and a willingness to allow prevaricating and outrageous ads run on her behalf by strident outside groups.
I hope she runs for a state office, that she gets trounced doing so, and her senate seat goes blue..
Gosh, project much there, you snowflake.
I fully agree she’s the republican selection for Attorney General….