Stein rolls past Alexander

RALEIGH -- Democrat Josh Stein sailed to an easy victory in the District 16 race for N.C. Senate on Tuesday, easily outpacing his Republican challenger John M. Alexander Jr.

With all precincts reporting, Stein had 61 percent of the vote to Alexander’s 38.9 percent.

Reached after giving his victory speech in Raleigh, Stein praised voters’ heavy turnout and energy.

“I’m just so honored that so many people came out to help me to work for this victory,” Stein said Tuesday night. “I think the voters were interested in a vision for a better future — a future where we ensure Wake County’s schools are excellent, that our health care system works well for everyone.”

In other Wake County state Senate races, incumbent Vernon Malone crushed his Republican opponent Carol Bennett with 69.7 percent of the vote in District 14. Malone, a Democrat, has a long career in Wake County politics since retiring as a school administrator, serving on the school board and as a county commissioner before taking his Senate seat.

Incumbent Republican Neal Hunt also won easily in District 15, winning 52.6 percent of the night’s tally over Democrat Chris Mintz and Libertarian Jan MacKay’s smaller totals. A real estate investor and former City Council member, Hunt represents North Raleigh and said his familiarity with voters worked in his favor. He was too busy checking the fate of other North Carolina Republicans to see that voters had chosen him Tuesday.

“I guess because they knew me,” he said. “I’ve been around a few times, and on City Council. In my particular case, it’s because they knew I was a steady conservative, fiscally responsible, making sure we have enough money for infrastructure, highways, open space. Controlled spending.”

Republican incumbent Richard Stevens was a big winner in District 17, capturing more than 81 percent of the vote in the race with Libertarian Brian Irving.

Incumbent Democrats in Durham and Orange counties also appeared to rack up big wins.

Floyd McKissick Jr. of Durham had 73.5 percent of the vote in the District 20 race, easily beating Republican Kenneth Chandler, who had 22.6 percent, and Libertarian David Rollins, who had 3.9 percent, according to unofficial results. Incumbent Democrats Ellie Kinnaird and Bob Atwater, both of Orange County, each took more than 70 percent of the vote.

Both McKissick and Kinnaird are attorneys, and Atwater is a retired UNC administrator.

The Triangle’s only nail-biter in the state Senate appeared to be the District 12 race that covers Johnston and part of Wayne counties. There, Republican David Rouzer just slipped past Democrat Kay Carroll in early results. With more than 60,000 voters counted, Rouzer had edged his opponent with 52.9 percent of the vote.

But the evening’s showcase race was between Stein and Alexander, a Raleigh businessman with deep community ties.

The race for the District 16 seat, which covers western Wake County and parts of Raleigh, became an open scramble after Sen. Janet Cowell announced she would seek office as state treasurer.

Stein, 42, fought a blistering primary fight against fellow Democrat and lawyer Jack Nichols — a race that blanketed central Raleigh with opposing yard signs.

Both candidates stressed higher teacher pay and strategies for population growth that would protect Wake County’s schools and environment. The candidates’ positions were close enough that the Independent Weekly said either would make a fine choice, giving the final nod to Stein.

Stein directs the consumer protection division for the N.C. Attorney General’s Office, and he won numerous endorsements in his race against Alexander, including police, education and environmental groups.

Alexander, 59, is a longtime YMCA member and volunteer. The Hillsborough Street YMCA is named for his family. He didn’t realize the results the first time a reporter called, saying he was enjoying chili at home with his family.

Later, told of the Wake County Board of Elections Web site, he got the news and took it well. One goal he stressed throughout the campaign was more cooperation between political parties, which he believed was achieved in this race.

“He got more votes than we did,” Alexander said. “He won and we lost. One of the upticks of this thing is we got to know his family very well. We campaigned very hard side by side, and we’re just tickled to death to have known the Stein family.”

Alexander is president of Cardinal International Trucks, and he stressed his ability to prudently manage the state budget as a businessman would.

He found support from Smedes York, a former Raleigh mayor and a Democrat, and numerous Republican legislators and commissioners.