candidates

David Price seems like a corporate & conservative Democrat to me. Is that accurate? He's not a member of the Progressive House caucus but I'm not very familiar with his philosophies and voting records on progressive issues. Anyone have any resources or opinions on that they can share?

If you would prefer to message me instead of posting, that's fine. If you can't message me through this site, let me know and I'll give you an email address.

Thanks.

Charles Malone of North Raleigh is challenging the Republican incumbent, state Senator Neal Hunt, also of Raleigh. This is Malone’s first run for office, but he has a long history of political involvement and leadership

He believes his experiences as a native North Carolinian, a Vietnam era veteran, a former small businessman and journalist, and as a state employee working for protection of natural resources will well equip him to serve in the Senate and to represent the citizens of NC Senate District 15.

From article and phone interview with Commission Candidate Steve Rao:

"We have to provide basic social services; these times are tough and people need help that the county needs to continue to provide despite cuts in funds from the state."

And on the environment: "Keep Falls Lake clean and safe; the region needs to improve mass transit to decrease reliance on private vehicles and reduce harmful emissions into the air we breathe."

What I want every citizen to know is "what it was like here 30 or more years ago before Magnet schools creation and RTP creation—I’m about bringing people together to make the right decisions. We have to tackle tough issues."

The last day to register to vote is Oct 8. Early voting starts Oct 14. Final voting date - Tuesday, Nov 2.

This is a summary of the Wake County Commissioner 2010 Candidate Forum on Monday, Sept 27, from 7pm-9pm. The forum was organized and run by the League of Women Voters of Wake County and Wake Up Wake County, 2 non-partisan organizations.

It was held at Temple Beth Or, which is near Crabtree Valley Mall. The candidate forum program states this is 'Your chance to learn where the candidates stand on growth-related issues affecting our community".

This was a very professionally run forum. All 8 candidates for the 4 positions of Wake County Commissioner were invited. All came but 2. Present were Lindy Brown, Jack Nichols, Steve Rao, Don Mial, Tony Gurley and Joe Bryan. Marian Lewin, from the League of Women Voters, was moderator. Phil Matthews and Paul Coble did not attend.

I deeply admire people who have the chutzpa to hang themselves out there as candidates and expose themselves to the judgment of total strangers. It takes courage to run for a race on any level (okay, either courage or a few loose screws, in some cases) and I always want to call up the candidates who did not make it on post-election day to say "at least you had the stones to run."

a message to the Blue NC community

The Discussion Group gathering on NC's 2010 US Senate race will be next Tuesday evening, February 16, 6:30pm to ~8pm at the Players' Retreat in Raleigh. The discussion will also touch on control of the NC General Assembly and on Congressional races in North Carolina. As always, the discussion is open to all, no fee or membership required. Bring your friends and see below for additional details.

I'd like to invite comments about the value of public service experience, specifically including elected office, in evaluating candidates.

Sixty-one days.

In sixty-one days, the filing period will begin for races including the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House, the state Senate, the state House, county commissioners, and other public offices in this great state of North Carolina.

On Feb. 8, county Board of Elections, from Murphy to Manteo, will open up their doors for business...and who will dare to walk in? From the 8th to the 26th of February, there is a window to help shape the communities we all live in. All the blog posts, 30-second ads, and fundraisers in the world will not change the fact that, during those days, filling out a piece of paper and paying a fee is all that one individual has to do to change our democracy.

With the State Executive Committee occurring tomorrow and the election of our new party officers, recent events have made me reflect about the barriers that are in place against young Democrats being elected to party and other elected offices. And I think it's even more of a struggle for young Democratic women.

For those who think about running for any kind of office, a balance must always be maintained (however precarious) among family, professional life, and politics. However, this balance is even more difficult for those just starting out in their careers, especially those with young children. Or else they may be in school or, if they are out of school, having to battle loan payments and other debt. There is certainly an advantage for those who are retired, wealthy, have a dependable second income from a spouse (or family money), or have a job that allows them flexible hours. To be sure, so-called Young Democrats are not alone in these issues...Democrats in their 30s, 40s, and 50s face similar concerns.

From my humble perch, it distresses me that the NC House Democratic caucus missed a great opportunity in 2008 when they did not field a candidate against Representative Phillip Frye in House District 84 (in the mountains).

Rep. Frye was charged with DWI in Dec 2007.

See: http://projects.newsobserver.com/under_the_dome/frye_charged_with_dwi

He filed for reelection anyway in early 2008, but no one filed against him.

I realize that this generally GOP mountain district is not in the top tier on the Dem+ list. However, Judge Doug McCullough was tossed from the NC Court of Appeals handily by Cheri Beasley after his encounter with drunk driving.