No, Tony Tata isn’t stepping down from his post as Secretary of Transportation. (A groan is heard from the Tata haters – we call them “Taters” ’round these parts.) He’s staying on because he’s bowing out of a potential congressional bid for the seat of Republican incumbent Walter B. Jones. This was made pretty much official in an internal memo to DOT employees.
It’s probably a wise move on Tata’s part. Jones would have been tough to defeat, and it would have been near impossible to do so in a contest with the anti-Jones vote divided. As mentioned earlier, it looks like Taylor Griffin, Jones’ challenger from last year, is gearing up for a rematch. There just wouldn’t be enough oxygen in the race for the both of them.
Tata would have made a great candidate, with one glaring flaw: he’s only been a resident of the state since 2010, and a Cary resident at that. Tata’s home is about two hours away from the nearest part of the 3rd. You better believe that he would have been raked over the coals for carpetbagging by the Jones camp – and, in a district that tends to be suspicious of outsiders, those attacks would have gotten traction.
The departure from the race of Secretary Tata leaves the field more or less clear for Taylor Griffin to go after Jones all by himself. It’s unclear whether or not the powers-that-be will give Griffin the green light or try recruiting another candidate, but one thing is for certain: they want Jones gone. With foreign policy playing a greater role recently, and with the incumbent’s views looking increasingly remote from the views of GOP primary voters, the establishment has a strong chance of getting their way and sending Jones packing next year.
That would make Jones the first incumbent congressman in North Carolina to be successfully primaried since 1955. From “freedom fries” to being one of the GOP’s most outspoken critics of the Iraq War, Jones could be on a course to make history once again.
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.
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