Why you should care about State Senate race district 43

WHY THE REST OF THE STATE SHOULD CARE ABOUT THE RACE FOR STATE SENATE IN THE 43RD DISTRICT!

Today’s Sunday edition of the Gaston Gazette, the local newspaper in Gaston County, told the terrifying story of local Democratic candidate Annette Carter and her brush with political terrorism. Annette Carter is the current chairperson of the board of education and is running in a hotly contested race for current Democrat, David Hoyle’s seat this fall.

Gaston County politics has always been a bit lopsided and if truth be told somewhat cumbersome for local democrats. The conservative stronghold in this county is more like a choke hold with the 43rd State Senate seat being one of the bright spots.
Annette carter became the victim of what some are calling “campaign terrorism” when a crumpled up yard sign was left on her door step along with shards of glass from a brick thrown at her glass door. The Gaston Gazette described it this way.

The blaring burglar alarm jolted Annette Carter awake before dawn Friday. Shards of shattered glass and a crumpled campaign sign littered her porch.
A brick had been hurled through a thick glass pane in the side door of the state Senate candidate’s home on Thornburg Road outside Dallas. Though an inner pane of glass remained intact, the 3 a.m. commotion terrified Carter, who is chairwoman of the Gaston County Board of Education.

“It’s just pretty scary to wake up with your alarm going off and not knowing what’s happening,” Carter said. “It was very frightening.”
Police arrived and searched the area for whoever threw the brick and left the damaged Carter for Senate yard sign on her sunroom porch, said Gaston County Police Capt. Steve Myers. Investigators haven’t determined whether Carter was targeted because of her candidacy.
“We don’t know if it’s politically motivated or not,” Myers said Saturday. “I can’t say at this point, because I don’t know. We’ve still got the case under investigation.”

Some, however, say the combination of a crumpled Carter sign and violent vandalism was no coincidence. Bill Toole, chairman of the Gaston County Democratic Party, called it an act of “campaign terrorism.”

So why should Democrats in the rest of the state be concerned? There are two main reasons. First with the new session in the fall comes redistricting. Currently with control of both houses Democrats do not need to lose any seats which could put them in jeopardy of a republican lead redistricting effort. That would be disastrous for local and state elections.

The second reason is that Annette carter is a hard working servant of the people who has represented her constituents and her party with dignity and grace under pressure. As the current chairperson of the board of education Annette has proven she has what it takes to lead with intelligence and vision. We should be concerned when one of our own is threatened.

This is how current Senator David Hoyle (D) summarized the incident, ““This has taken politics to a new low, and I’m very disappointed,” he said. “This is not American politics. Maybe if we were in Iran or Iraq or Pakistan, that would be standard operating procedure, but not in America. We don’t campaign that way.”

So, in the course of the next week when you consider local and state politics keep Annette carter and Gaston County in your thoughts and send Annette positive wishes. A campaign donation wouldn’t hurt either.