Cheek stumps in DA race

Still says he won't take job if elected

DURHAM -- Lewis Cheek intends to spend a lot of time on the campaign trail for a man who said he had no plans to seek the district attorney's job and wouldn't take it if elected.

At Duke University on Thursday, the county commissioner looked like a politician on the stump when he took the stage at a barbecue sponsored by Ethical Durham, a political action committee endorsing Cheek.

"The message that I'm trying to convey and I think the message that I want to see conveyed is everybody ought to do what they think the right thing to do is," Cheek said.

Durham voters have several options when they go to the polls Nov. 7.

Incumbent Mike Nifong won the Democratic primary in May with 45 percent of the vote. After initially facing no challengers in November, Nifong encountered criticism over his handling of the Duke lacrosse rape case. He now is challenged by Steve Monks, a Republican running a write-in campaign, and Cheek, who maintains he would not serve but let the governor pick his stand-in.

Cheek -- endorsed by the Anybody But Nifong and Recall Nifong-Vote Cheek campaigns -- told the Duke students Thursday that he would vote for himself because his name is on the ballot. He urged them to vote Cheek, too, if they had concerns about Nifong and Monks.

Charlotte Woods, a campaigner for Monks at the Duke rally, said she was upset her candidate was not asked to speak.

"If it really was about anybody but Nifong -- Lewis Cheek said he doesn't want the job; he should drop out of the race," Woods said. "I truly feel it's more about not wanting a Republican in this powerful office."

The Nifong campaign could not be reached for comment.

Cheek plans to attend more rallies and meet with political endorsement groups. Still, he said, he would not serve if elected.

"I don't have any reason to view the situation any different now than I did last summer," Cheek said.

At the rally Thursday, students for Ethical Durham collected voter registration forms.

The students were so outraged by Nifong's handling of the lacrosse rape case that they have conducted a registration drive since August.

Many lacrosse players and their new coach, John Danowski, were at the Duke rally. Many wore campaign stickers for Cheek, but they said the barbecue was not so much about rallying for one candidate but urging participation in the electoral process.

"It was about register and vote," said Tony McDevitt, a lacrosse player at the team party where an exotic dancer alleged she was gang-raped.

The players and their coach declined to discuss the March party or the months since then. They focused on the coming election.

"This is a wonderful life experience," Danowski said. "They're learning about politics, the system and trying to effect change."