NC Democrats want to break GOP legislative supermajority. GOP says not so fast.

Hundreds of Democratic Party volunteers are knocking on doors across the state this weekend in an effort to build momentum this fall to loosen Republican control of North Carolina’s government.

Republicans hold a supermajority in the General Assembly, limiting the ability of Democratic legislators and Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper to influence how North Carolina is run. This weekend, the North Carolina Democratic Party launched what it called the largest legislative field campaign in the country as more than 250 volunteers statewide reached out to voters in person and over the telephone.

“This is the most important thing that any of us can do for elections,” Democratic legislative candidate Sam Searcy told volunteers Saturday at the Wake County Democratic Party headquarters in Apex. “Knocking on doors is the one thing that really moves the needle.

“It helps people understand who the candidates are. It shows them that their neighbors and other volunteers care and are engaged, and it’s just wonderful.”

Searcy is running for the District 17 Senate seat in Wake County held by Republican Tamara Barringer.

Dallas Woodhouse, executive director of the N.C. Republican Party, said the GOP is also active this weekend training volunteers and sending people to knock on doors and make telephone calls.

“Largely, both sides are focused on many of the same key districts,” Woodhouse said. ‘We believe the policies that the legislature has passed will help us keep strong governing majorities.”

Democrats held control of the state legislature for more than 100 years until Republicans gained the majority in the 2010 election. Since then, Republicans have expanded their control to allow them to override multiple vetoes by Cooper.

This control has allowed Republicans to pass legislation that has cut tax rates and regulations and make multiple education policy changes, such as expanding charter schools and providing vouchers for families to attend private schools. Republicans have also taken controversial stances on social issues like same-sex marriage and bathroom access for transgender people.

All 170 state House and state Senate seats are on this year’s ballot. If Democrats pick up four House seats or six Senate seats this November, they’ll break the GOP supermajority.

Last year, Cooper and the N.C. Democratic Party launched “Break The Majority,” a campaign to recruit and support legislative candidates for the 2018 elections.

Democrats say they have the momentum, pointing to campaign finance reports released earlier this month showing the N..C. Democratic Party has $5.8 million on hand to support legislative candidates compared to $1.3 million for the N.C. Republican Party.

Even though the fall election is more than three months away, Democratic legislative candidate Sydney Batch said it’s important now to reach out to voters. This weekend, Break the Majority is targeting Democratic voters.

“We can get disengaged because we’re just trying to keep up with life, so when someone comes to knock on your door and actually is engaging with you on what your issues are and what you think is important, it gives us a lot of feedback on what actual voters believe,” said Batch, who is seeking the open District 37 House seat in Wake.

“It also lets them know that we care about them and that we’re in a position in which we’re trying to obviously affect positive change for their family.”

Woodhouse said it won’t be easy hanging on to the GOP supermajority because the midterm election cycle naturally favors the party that’s not in power.

“We’re doing all we can do to hold the supermajority.” Woodhouse said. “But the important thing is to have majorities to a level that will allow you to govern.”

Democratic candidates say they can win enough seats campaigning on issues such as raising teacher pay and per-pupil spending to the national average and expanding Medicaid.

“It’s going to take a lot of hard work,” said Julie von Haefen, a Democrat running for the District 36 House seat in Wake held by Republican Nelson Dollar. “It’s not something that can really happen with us just sitting back.

“That’s why we’re here today, and we’re going to keep working and knocking those doors and calling people and engaging with the voters from now until November.”

This story was originally published July 21, 2018 at 3:46 PM.