Shake-Up in North Carolina Politics
Several news outlets are announcing that Gov. Beverly Perdue (D), the first female governor in North Carolina history, won’t be seeking re-election this fall. Gov. Perdue has been fairly unpopular and would have faced a difficult gubernatorial campaign against former Charlotte mayor Pat McCrory (R). Though Gov. Perdue defeated McCrory in 2008, most observers agree she was pushed over the edge by straight-ticket voters who were more enthused about Barack Obama’s presidential candidacy. Virtually everyone I’ve spoken to in recent months agrees that Gov. Perdue would have had a very difficult time being re-elected, even if Pres. Obama handily wins a second presidential term this fall.
There are already many rumors circulating about which Democratic leader will emerge to challenge McCrory. Both parties are also already spinning Gov. Perdue’s announcement as advantageous to their respective agendas. It will be interesting to see what transpires in the coming weeks. You can read more about Gov. Perdue’s decision at Politico, Carolina Journal, and the Raleigh News and Observer.
It’s also worth noting that Rep. Brad Miller (D) will also not be seeking re-election, apparently due to the new district maps drawn up by the Republican-controlled NC General Assembly. Rep. Miller currently represents the part of Wake County in which we live, but under the new map he’d have to run in the primary against Rep. David Price (D), who represents most of Wake, Orange, and Durham Counties. It’s unknown which Republican will challenge Rep. Price for his seat in the House of Representatives.
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Nathan A. Finn serves as Associate Professor of Historical Theology and Baptist Studies at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina. He's a husband, father, elder, baseball enthusiast, and Broadway musical fan. He's still trying to figure out why we drive on parkways and park on driveways.
Was fascinated recently to see the influence of outside forces in a NC county school board election.
The people of Wake County, North Carolina resolved it and ‘took back’ their voice. They banded together and fought back to preserve the quality of their schools.
I look forward to seeing if the pattern repeats itself on a wider scale in the state. If it does, I have confidence that the people’s voice will survive.
http://kochbrothersexposed.com/education/
Perdue’s decision will help the Democrats. Look for Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx to try and become the first Africian-American governor of North Carolina.