In the past couple of days there have been three articles reporting on the 2016 Senate race. They are linked below:
Roll Call – 10 Races to Watch in 2016: North Carolina Senate
The Hill – 10 senators who could lose in 2016
Politico – 16 in ’16: The new battle for the Senate
From them, we can glean the following facts: (1) Burr appears to be the favorite heading into the 2016 cycle, (2) Democrats think they have a shot at NC if the environment is right, and (3) Democrats don’t have an obvious candidate. The good news is that there are a lot of potentially strong candidates to choose from, and Jim Hunt is leading the recruitment effort. Also noted is that talk of Kay Hagan running again has died down of late.
Here’s my list of potential challengers to Burr, which has expanded recently due to unnamed operatives dropping names to journalists:
Dan Blue, NC Senate Minority Leader
Janet Cowell, State Treasurer
Cal Cunningham, former State Senator and U.S. Senate candidate, 2010
Anthony Foxx, U.S. Transportation Secretary and former Mayor of Charlotte
Larry Hall, NC House Minority Leader
Kay Hagan, outgoing U.S. Senator
Allen Joines, Mayor of Winston-Salem
Mike McIntyre, outgoing U.S. Representative
Charles Meeker, former Mayor of Raleigh
Brad Miller, former U.S. Representative
Heath Shuler, former U.S. Representative
Allen Thomas, Mayor of Greenville
From the Politico article, it seems Democrats’ top recruits would be Hagan and Foxx, but neither of them seem likely to run. Should they stay out, it looks like national Democrats have their eye on former U.S. Representative Heath Shuler. Mike McIntyre is also mentioned but the article states he might have trouble getting through a primary. I agree with that. Allen Thomas is an interesting candidate who I haven’t heard mentioned before. And Cal Cunningham I think is much more likely to run for Lieutenant Governor.
Overall, Democrats have a decent bench. But Burr is an incumbent and an inoffensive one at that, so he might prove hard to defeat. In the end, this race will turn on the national environment and especially on the Democratic presidential nominee’s performance in North Carolina two years from now.
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.
Mike McIntyre or Heath Shuler? No, thanks. I’ve had enough of Republicans masquerading as Democrats.
How about Tate McQueen? He ran a spirited, although failed campaign for Congress against Patrick McHenry. Had the gerrymandering of 2010 not taken place; he would have done better.
I had a chance to watch him debate the wooden Rep. McHenry (made him squirm!)
He’s an educator and civic advocate for protecting the environment; a natural populist. Authentic and very refreshing!
Let’s draft Tate McQueen. Check out his website http://www.tatemacqueen.com
(Sorry, I don’t know how to set up a hyperlink through this posting. Y’all know what to do!)
Popular Hillary Clinton at the top of the ticket gives ALL Dems. a HUGE vote pop!!
It would help to include a photo of each potential candidate, as far too many voters don’t care about the politics, they don’t bother reading the positional statements, they don’t listen to speeches; they just need a good-looking candidate and a snappy slogan to get them out there to vote. An articulate, progressive one would be even better for NC. We must find one who fits BOTH bills.
Please, please, don’t run Kay Hagan. Let’s get somebody fresh and new.
Good Candidate List; I fully agree with Kay Hagan pt-II; but Mike McIntyre, or Heath Shuler would be a great alternate with the cross party appeal power that Kay did not muster.
Personally, I would rather see Shuler or McIntyre become Chair of the NCDP, but they seem not interested, and Brad Miller recently stated he was occupied on the personal economic front.
Our friend Cal Cunningham hasn’t made any moves toward elected office in a long while, but is certainly a personal favorite & friend.
LET’S BE CLEAR; “Anthony Foxx” is a potential 2016 Vice Presidential candidate, and might not want to prematurely derail the opportunity.
The state must have a candidates that will compliment Hillary Clinton & Roy Cooper for the Senate, and other statewide offices. I have big early KUDO’s for Winston-Salem Councilman James Taylor as he decides upon the Lt. Governor’s office.
Too bad Jim Hunt himself won’t run….I bet he’d give Burr a serious run for his money!
Foxx would be the strongest Dem candidate, but, as was said, he may not want to run. I agree on the factors/realities that could weigh down McIntyre, Shuler, Hagan, and Miller. Cunningham might not have have the gravitas or the recently successful electoral track record to cut it, IMO. Meeker would do well with Triangle voters, but he’d have an uphill road to capture the “ruralees” and the urb/suburbs outside the Triangle. Beyond Foxx, and short of some great communicating Dem coming out of the woodwork with a strong progressive/pro-worker message, I like Blue, Goodwin and Cowell.
He might be tough to beat, but not exactly teflon coated. The Republicans made a big deal about Kay running on VA reforms and how she had not done anything to that end. Well, Senator Burr is the ranking member of the Veteran’s Affairs committee. So he’ll be logging 12 years of service on that committee as the election cycle rolls in and the debacles and cracks rife in that department fomented themselves under his tender tutelage. Issues that were brought front and center coming into November 2014.
You got that right. Speaking as a veteran, I can attest that neither Hagan nor Burr really did that much on pressing veteran issues.
Anthony Foxx may have a clean shot at being elected, if he chooses to run. Finding a politician willing to deal with many levels of ignorant, backward thinking
is difficult. Sadly there are many out there with name recognition and common sense who would make great representatives of this state in Congress. But are unwilling to step to the plate.
He’s very happy where he is, but Wayne Goodwin is as good a retail politician as we have in North Carolina right now. I hope he’s looking at this race.
I agree with you Charlie. Wayne Goodwin is one of the best campaigners out there and he is very smart-a big plus for NC Democrats.
I think in order to win a Senate race, it would help to have run statewide. I think Wayne Goodwin would be a great candidate!
I doubt seriously the National Democrats have any interest in Mike McIntyre or Heath Schuler. Neither could win a primary. NC Democrats have had a belly full of Blue Dog Democrats. If Brad Miller could not gather the will to run for his House seat do not delude yourself in believing he would run in a beat em up knock down Statewide Senate seat. As for Hagan, if she as a sitting Senator could not turn back the likes of Tom Tillis, why? If Hagan were to run it would her folly and doubt she would do all that well in a primary. I doubt Dan Blue will run and although Cowell has won statewide doubt she has the chops to take on Burr. The Democrats need to find themselves a true populist Democrat who can speak to the economic issues facing North Carolinians.