At about 4:20 this morning, Rep. Paul Stam announced that this will be his last term in the North Carolina House. The news came just as lawmakers were getting ready to adjourn. Stam, in his position as speaker pro-tem, is the #2 Republican in the House.
A lawyer from Apex, Stam was elected to the House in 1988, but was defeated after a single term. He returned to the chamber in 2002 and although he faced a couple of close races in the 2000s, he’s since coasted to reelection ever since. Last year, he ran unopposed. During his tenure, he became known mainly for his work on two issues: fighting abortion and increasing state support for charter schools. He was also a vocal opponent of the LGBT movement, and an advocate for redistricting reform.
Of course, now comes the speculation as to who his replacement will be. Stam’s district, the 37th, extends from downtown Apex to Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina, and rural Southeast Wake County, and there are a number of local officials who could run.
Those hoping that a Democrat will claim Stam’s seat are likely to be disappointed. The 37th is the most Republican House district in Wake County and whoever the GOP nominates is going to have a big advantage over any Democrat who decides to run. The real action will be in the Republican primary.
In what should be good news for progressives, Stam’s likely successor will probably be more of a social moderate. Regardless, Wake County will lose an effective lawmaker, and social conservatives will lose possibly their strongest advocate in the legislature. And one thing’s for sure, the General Assembly won’t be quite the same without Skip Stam being in it.
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.
In the most Republican House district in Wake County, Republicons have already chosen their voters and thus the outcome of the general election. The results of Republicons’ grasping and clucthing power their gerrymandering lacks any semblance of Democracy. They deliberately drew an all urban house district to include as many Democrats as possible to minimize Democrats’ ability to influence the outcome of a general election through their constitutional right: voting.
Should have been thrown out long ago, but then look at the electorate and their toleration for weird, mean and stupid people. NCGA is example.
I couldn’t be happier! This is the first good thing that has come out of this session. I liked the terms Apply Liberally used, “regressive, bigoted, troglodyte!”
Kathy:
Over the last 9 years since moving to NC, how embarrassing it has been to know that Paul Stam was the elected House rep for my district.
Maybe it was his failure to push through that late and sneaky provision whereby the state would usurp a host of municipal powers (setting minimum wages, traffic controls, setting fair housing policies, etc) that finally made him realize he needed to find some other line of work that appreciated heavy-handed, dictatorial control.
Hip hip hooray!
Finally, some good news from this session of the NCGA, thanks John.
It is hell when your fear becomes what are they going to try and make us swallow next. Plea see e c go the hell home. What a sorry group of legislators.
“Stam’s likely successor will probably be more of a social moderate.”
Not going out on any limb there, Mr. Wynne, given that Stam was a regressive bigoted troglodyte.
Maybe the fact that he ultimately lost on his pet cause (i.e., the marriage amendment/same-sex marriage issue), or couldn’t convince fellow legislators that homosexuality was the equivalent of pedophilia, or had to watch the national GOP continue to embarrassed itself with its anti-abortion-related obsession (“We’ll shut the government down if it funds Planned Parenthood!”) made his leaving a clear and easy choice.
And, really, an “effective lawmaker”? When asked about why and how an 80-year old, enrollment-based formula for funding public schools was eliminated in the 2014 session via a sudden legislative move (http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/op-ed/article10064432.html), Stam admitted to the press that he voted “yea” on the bill but didn’t know that this major provision was in it. And the guy was Speaker Pro Temp?
Glad he’s gone.
.
GoodBYE to the most insufferable pseudo-intellectual in politics. We are a too-forgiving lot, so before the sentimentalism begins let me remind you of this quote:
“Gay parents are worse for kids than second-hand smoke.”
-“Taliban” Paul Stam
Lets begin the party…How to we lose the other crazies.
“The GOP may be the conservative party, but it’s also the party of bigots. For proof, look no further than state Rep. Skip Stam.”
https://www.politicsnc.com/the-gops-bigot-problem-2/