PITTSBORO -- State Republican leaders and legislative candidates, looking to prove they can overcome 100 years of Democratic domination in the legislature, held a rally Thursday in the home district of Democratic House Speaker Joe Hackney.
Since the candidate filing period closed last week, Republicans have touted both the number and quality of candidates they recruited to run for state House and Senate seats. By appearing in Hackney's district with the Republican candidate challenging him, GOP leaders made a show of their confidence and enthusiasm.
Republicans sought to underline that message by pointing out that they expect to ride a wave of national voter dissatisfaction. N.C. Republican Party Chairman Tom Fetzer said the party plans to wage a campaign focused on statewide and national politics, not local issues.
"This election is about him and her," Fetzer said, about Democrats Gov. Bev Perdue and President Barack Obama, "and the mess they're making."
Democrats fired back Thursday that they think the election will be about who has the best ideas to deal with a deep recession and other problems facing the state. Hackney said in an interview that Democrats adopted a budget last year that spared education from painful cuts.
"I think it's about the public schools in North Carolina, whether we should have furloughed more than 10,000 public school teachers last time or did the right thing by protecting public education," Hackney said.
The budget backed by Democrats and signed by Perdue cut spending and raised taxes to offset a decline in revenue. Republicans said state spending should have been cut without tax increases.
The back and forth comes as Republicans are trying to brand themselves as the inevitable winners at the ballot box in November. Fetzer acknowledged that part of the challenge for Republicans is convincing voters that, unlike in previous years, they can defeat the Democrats.
"It's important to witness to people about the historic opportunity confronting our party," Fetzer said. "It's not just, 'Look at what a bad job they've done,' but, 'Here's what we're going to do different.'"
N.C. Democratic Party Executive Director Andrew Whalen said Republicans have not offered any solutions to the problems facing the state.
"While Gov. Perdue and Democrats in the General Assembly have worked tirelessly to guide North Carolina through this global recession, this little band has stood in the way, said 'no' over and over again, and done nothing to help North Carolina families," Whalen said.
Both Hackney and House Republican leader Rep. Paul Stam say they think their party will pick up seats in the election.
As for Hackney's seat, Republicans introduced challenger Cathy Wright, a health care advocate. Fetzer seemed to acknowledge the uphill battle facing Wright when he described her as a "brave lady."
Hackney reported more than $400,000 in his campaign account in January.
"I'm going up against the big boy," said Wright, 59.
Hackney, who as speaker is expected to help Democrats in districts across the state, said he always campaigns in his district, and this year won't be different.
"I go to all the events, and the district comes first," Hackney said. "I take the election seriously. The seat belongs to the people, not to me."
