Kissell has new outlook

Democratic hopeful missed seat in Congress by 329 votes

WASHINGTON -- Larry Kissell says he hasn't changed much.

He still teaches civics and world history at the Biscoe high school that his daughters attend, the same school where his mother taught.

He still engages in what he calls "a little chain-saw therapy" -- going out to the woods to cut down fuel for the stove that supplies all of his home's hot water and most of its heat.

But the man who fell 329 votes shy of becoming a member of Congress in 2006 is looking ahead to the next election year from a much different perch.

Two years ago at this time, Kissell had less than $2,500 in his campaign account. As of September of this year, he'd already accumulated $100,000 for his rematch against Rep. Robin Hayes, a Republican from Concord.

The best thing Kissell got out of the Democratic establishment in Washington last time around was a cheesecake on election night. This time, three members of the congressional leadership have already campaigned in North Carolina's 8th District, and the national party held a fundraiser that helped him retire campaign debt left over from 2006.

At home, more folks know his name, and the list of people he calls seeking funding and support has fewer strangers on it.

"We have taken advantage of the time since the last election to get to know the people of the district better," Kissell said. "The excitement that's in the district now is also very rewarding to us. It's the excitement of knowing we can win."

Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, who heads the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said Kissell proved he could develop a relationship with voters.

"What continues to come across about Larry Kissell is, he is a genuine person who really does reflect the values of the community," Van Hollen said. "He speaks from the heart."

Local appeal

A longtime resident of Biscoe, about 70 miles from Charlotte in Montgomery County, Kissell has a resume with community appeal. He was a textile worker for 27 years before switching to teaching. He's a deacon at his church and a member of the Lions Club.

His folksy simplicity isn't seen as a great asset by everyone.

"While he is earnest and likable, Kissell is low-key and has the charisma of a high school social studies teacher," Stuart Rothenberg, editor of the Rothenberg Political Report, wrote in a September column about Kissell published in the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call. "And Hayes undoubtedly will be loaded for bear this time."

"[Kissell is] playing the typical challenger position, complain and criticize," said Hayes, who first won the seat in 1998. He attributes the narrowness of his victory to too many voters staying home on Election Day last year.

Kissell knows that a year in which a new president and a new governor will be elected will bring out voters who might need more convincing than those dedicated enough to turn out in an off year.

"There's a good strong Democratic wind in North Carolina," he says. "We are a part of that, and we helped create that."

Kissell says he's sticking to the kitchen-table issues he ran on last time -- the impact of international trade agreements on jobs in one of the nation's poorest congressional districts, skyrocketing gas prices and lack of affordable health insurance, for example.

"I feel very confident that we have the right message," he said. "People are very frustrated, even somewhat angry, that Washington is not doing the things they need to help them the most."