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DFA hearts Debra McHenry

Submitted by scharrison on Wed, 08/25/2010 - 3:36pm

Just got this in the (e)mail:

DFA endorsements have always been driven by our members on the ground across the country -- that's what makes Democracy for America the country's only people-powered PAC. But the North Carolina All-Star endorsement is different because it's chosen entirely by DFA members in North Carolina.

All the votes have been cast and I'm honored to announce DFA's North Carolina All-Star -- Debra McHenry.

Apparently I'm on a Wake County theme today, but I promise I'll pay more attention to the other 99 in weeks to come. This is a big one, folks. Skip Stam is a blight on the General Assembly, and the longer he stays there the more infected our tree of democracy will get.

Ed Ridpath (and his precious family) busted their butts twice to unseat Stam, and their tireless work in District 37 was nothing short of groundbreaking. And even though I can't help but feel that we failed to hold up our end of the deal, directing only a trickle of 2008 contributions to their worthy effort, you'd never be able to sense that failure from the Ridpath family's indomitable spirit.

What great things we could achieve if we'd only recognize greatness when it shakes our hand.

Let's not make that mistake again. You can help Debra continue the fight against Stam's regressive approach to governing. If you don't want to sacrifice for the folks in the 37th, then do it for everybody in the State.

Tagged:

Comments

it wasn't lack of money that defeated Ridpath in 2008

Submitted by WakeVerifiedVoting on Sun, 08/29/2010 - 11:58pm.

It was the demographics of the area PLUS the (lack of) overall GOTV efforts down there.

Chris Telesca
Wake County Verified Voting
http://noirvnc.blogspot.com
http://statewideirvnc.blogspot.com

Just for the record on Ed

Submitted by Martha Brock on Mon, 08/30/2010 - 11:37am.

The Independent Weekly described Ed Ridpath as the hardest working Democrat in Wake County

--while others might share that moniker with Ed, those who worked canvassing door to door and making thousands of calls in 2008--it is an indisputable fact that Ed worked as hard as any candidate I have ever known.

But what Chris Telesca says about the demographics is true, too. You just cannot overcome the demographics in a district drawn to be not just "leaning R" but an "R" District. I do not know how much that has changed, since 2008, in Stam's NC House district. However, Debra does have her work cut out for her. She has a great advantage in that Ed and his cohorts are helping her to campaign. That to me is a bigger story than the DFA's support.

The combination of Southern Wake Dems led by Ed and South Eastern Wake Dems led by Debra just might be able to pull this off and unseat Republican Representatvie (and the "Prince of Pelvic Politics")Paul "Skip" Stam of Apex, in Western Wake. It's a huge district, real estate wise.

Debra: You go girl!

Martha Brock

If I'm not mistaken,

Submitted by scharrison on Mon, 08/30/2010 - 12:00pm.

in the last election Ed pulled 47% of the vote, up from 43% from his previous run. Not bad, eh?

Well, I dunno.--hopefully Debra will pull at least 50% plus 1

Submitted by Martha Brock on Mon, 08/30/2010 - 12:34pm.

vote. That's all that's required to retire Skip Stam to his Apex law practice!

In 2006 I pulled about 47% of the vote in a county-wide race for Wake County Commissioner, and the media (including the N & O's Ryan Beckwith) described my loss to my opponent as my losing by a "landslide." I did pull almost 90,000 votes and was outspent at least 50-1. But the only thing the media focused on in their election reports was the Republican's win by a "large margin" or a "landslide."

Technically, I think the reporters were correct. It is a rule of thumb that any vote difference of 5 percentage points or more is a "Landslide."

Off-year elections like that in Wake in 2006 and this year's election are much harder to get traction in as a down-ballot candidate. There is not a Presidential or Governor's race to pull in a large straight-ticket party vote. Voters are much more likely to "vote for the person."

Meaning the one they have heard of the most. An incumbent, usually or the candidate with the most money to spend on creating "name recognition."

Martha Brock

Martha pulled a lot of votes in 2006

Submitted by WakeVerifiedVoting on Mon, 08/30/2010 - 12:49pm.

She got more votes than the other two Dems who lost.

The only Dem who got more votes was Lindy Brown who won her race in 2006!

COUNTY COMMISSIONER 01
You may vote for 1
(WITH 213 OF 213 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
Donald Mial (DEM). . . . . . . . 90,225 46.40
Joe Bryan (REP) . . . . . . . . 104,228 53.60

COUNTY COMMISSIONER 02
You may vote for 1
(WITH 213 OF 213 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
Lindy Brown (DEM). . . . . . . . 103,241 53.15
Phil Jeffreys (REP) . . . . . . . 91,001 46.85

COUNTY COMMISSIONER 03
You may vote for 1
(WITH 213 OF 213 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
Martha Brock (DEM) . . . . . . . 92,338 47.33
Tony Gurley (REP). . . . . . . . 102,768 52.67

COUNTY COMMISSIONER 07
You may vote for 1
(WITH 213 OF 213 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
Rodger Koopman (DEM). . . . . . . 90,232 45.58
Paul Y. Coble (REP) . . . . . . . 107,730 54.42

Chris Telesca
Wake County Verified Voting
http://noirvnc.blogspot.com
http://statewideirvnc.blogspot.com