NC voters will see crowded ballots in a new — and for some a short — campaign season
North Carolina’s 2020 ballot was set Friday with two more Republican challengers for U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, a flurry of new congressional candidates and even a primary for President Donald Trump.
By the noon deadline, hundreds of candidates for state, local and national offices had filed to run across the state.
That includes 15 people running for lieutenant governor and 19 running for Congress in the 11th District — a dozen of them Republicans who filed after GOP Rep. Mark Meadows announced his retirement Thursday.
Many won’t have much time to campaign. With the state’s March 3 primary, early voting starts in less than eight weeks, on Feb. 13. Absentee ballots go out next month.
North Carolina’s election not only will decide who leads the state but could help determine which party controls Congress and the White House. As a presidential battleground and site of the 2020 Republican National Convention, the state will once again be in the national spotlight.
“With competitive races for President, Governor and Senate, as well as several House races, North Carolina will resemble a very expensive ground zero this cycle,” analyst Jennifer Duffy of the Cook Political Report wrote Friday.
Here’s a look at some N.C. races:
President
Trump will have Republican competition in North Carolina, the State Board of Elections decided Friday.
The board approved a request to add former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld and former Illinois Rep. Joe Walsh to the ballot. The state Republican Party had submitted only Trump’s name.
“These two individuals are nationally recognized,” said Republican Bob Orr, a former state Supreme Court justice who argued for their inclusion. “They should be on the ballot in North Carolina and all over the country.”
In a statement, state GOP Chairman Michael Whatley said, “President Trump enjoys overwhelming support among North Carolina Republicans . . . We look forward to working with him to secure a decisive victory in North Carolina and a second term as President.”
In addition to the three Republicans, there are 15 Democrats, 16 Libertarians and two Constitution Party and one Green Party candidates on the presidential ballot.
U.S. Senate
Tillis appeared to lose his strongest primary challenger this month when retired Raleigh businessman Garland Tucker dropped his campaign after investing more than $1.5 million of his own money into it.
But on Friday Tillis gained two new GOP challengers: Sharon Hudson, a party activist from Huntersville, and Larry Holmquist, a Greensboro businessman who ran against Republican Sen. Richard Burr in 2016.
Perennial candidate Paul Wright, a Mount Olive attorney who also challenged Burr in 2016, is running as well.
Five Democrats, including state Sen. Erica Smith, former Sen. Cal Cunningham and Mecklenburg commissioner Trevor Fuller are also vying for the seat.
So are Libertarian and Constitution candidates.
Congress
Court-ordered congressional redistricting effectively drew some incumbents out while drawing new candidates into often-crowded races.
The newly drawn 2nd and 6th Districts now favor Democrats. GOP Reps. George Holding and Mark Walker each decided to retire rather than run in them.
In the 2nd District, which includes most of Wake County, former state Rep. Deborah Ross is the best-known of four Democrats. She lost to Burr in 2016.
In the 6th District, which takes in Guilford County and part of Forsyth, the five-candidate primary field includes Kathy Manning and Bruce Davis, the last two Democratic nominees in the old 13th District.
Republican Rep. Richard Hudson of Concord, who represents the 8th District, faces Patricia Timmons-Goodson, the first African American woman to serve on the N.C. Supreme Court.
Despite Meadows’ retirement, the 11th District, which covers most of western North Carolina, is expected to remain Republican.
Republicans now hold a 10-3 edge in North Carolina’s congressional delegation. Most analysts expect it to drop to 8-5, making it harder for Republicans to retake the U.S. House in 2020.
State government
Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper gained a primary challenger Friday: Ernest Reeves of Greenville, who lost a special congressional primary this year.
The Republican race matches Lt. Gov. Dan Forest and state Rep. Holly Grange of Wilmington. Forest had $1 million on hand in his last finance report. Grange had $55,000.
The Libertarian and Constitution parties are also fielding candidates.
Fifteen people, including nine Republicans, are running for Forest’s seat. Every other Council of State position is contested as well.
State Democratic Chairman Wayne Goodwin is running for his old seat as insurance commissioner. Incumbent Republican Mike Causey faces a rematch with Ronald Pierce, whom he beat in 2016.
General Assembly
Newly-drawn districts have shuffled legislative maps as Democrats try to win at least one chamber.
Democrats are optimistic. By one count, about two dozen lawmakers, most Republicans, are retiring.
“The 2019 election results in Louisiana and Kentucky and North Carolina’s 9th District (special election) show that Democrats are making gains in suburban areas . . . and that trend will continue in 2020,” said party spokesman Robert Howard.
But Stephen Wiley, who works with the House GOP Caucus, said Republicans can hold their legislative majorities.
“Absolutely,” he said. “We are well-positioned with our recruitment and our fundraising … (We have) a lot of great first-time candidates and opportunities to go on offensive.”
Former GOP House leaders Bill Brawley and John Bradford of Mecklenburg County are both running against the candidates who narrowly beat them in 2018. And Republicans recruited African American businesswoman Sonja Nichols to challenge Democratic Sen. Jeff Jackson of Charlotte.
Mecklenburg County
Two Republicans — Matthew Ridenhour and Jim Puckett — are running for county commissioner seats they lost in 2018.
But for the first time in memory, no Republicans are running at large.
This story was originally published December 20, 2019 at 5:17 PM with the headline "NC voters will see crowded ballots in a new — and for some a short — campaign season."
