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The closing days of North Carolina’s Democratic primary for governor have been a tale of the haves and have nots.

While Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton has been running an incumbent’s campaign, holding private fundraisers and making mainly official public appearances, his candidacy has been surging on the strength of a well-financed set of television ads.

Meanwhile, former U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge and state Rep. Bill Faison have been bouncing around the state like pinballs, holding news conferences, stopping at TV stations, working polling places and handing out barbecue trying to draw attention to their candidacies.

Faced with a three-month sprint of a primary after Gov. Bev Perdue’s surprise announcement that she would not seek re-election, the Democratic candidates adopted different strategies, shaped in part by their circumstances.

Dalton, 62, a Rutherford County lawyer with ties to much of the party establishment, has run a modern campaign featuring TV ads in which he talks about wanting to improve education and bring jobs.

“Clearly they are running a front-runner’s strategy,” said Mike Munger, a Duke University political scientist who ran for governor in 2008. “They are not mentioning Etheridge’s name. All they are saying is, ‘Walter Dalton − he’s a good guy, and education now means jobs tomorrow.’ ”

Etheridge and Faison, short of money, have run more traditional grass-roots efforts.

Etheridge’s campaign has the feel of traditional politics as he stumps across the state by car. He has visited 45 counties during the past eight weeks, according to aides. During one five-day marathon in the mountains, he hit 16 counties.

“I have always done this,” said Etheridge, 70. “That is important, because I pick up information I would not get if I stayed in a room and just ran TV. I learned a valuable lesson two years ago. TV is fine. Radio is fine. But you better interface with people.”

Two years ago, he lost his congressional seat to Republican Renee Ellmers, and now he is seeking a political comeback.

‘Bell the cat’

At times, it seems that Etheridge is running for state schools superintendent, a job he held from 1989-96 before being elected to Congress.

While Etheridge largely avoids criticizing his Democratic primary opponents, he regularly lambastes the Republican legislature for cutting education as part of its effort to balance the state budget.

“It’s time to bell the cat,” Etheridge said at a news conference in front of the Legislative Building on Thursday. “It’s time for the people of North Carolina to really know what is going on. Our children and their children are going to pay a price.’’

In the short term, Etheridge argues, the state budget cuts will cause local counties to bear a larger share of education costs, and thereby cause an increase in property taxes.

He is also counting on endorsements from a network of Democratic officeholders, some of whom announced for him last week, including U.S. Reps. David Price and G.K. Butterfield, former U.S. Sen. Robert Morgan and state Sen. Dan Blue, a former state House speaker.

Raking it in

Part of the reason Etheridge is so engaged in retail politics is that he can’t match Dalton’s fundraising.

Dalton has raised $1.4 million, giving him a more than 4-1 advantage over Etheridge, who has raised $310,000. Faison raised only $11,545.

North Carolina residents have been four times as likely to see a Dalton TV commercial as an Etheridge commercial during the primary, although in the final week, Etheridge has finally been able to match Dalton.

Dalton has raised his money from large and medium donors. Etheridge has only been able to out raise Dalton among donors who gave less than $100, according to an analysis of campaign-finance records.

Dalton has been able to win over many more traditional Democratic givers who had contributed to Perdue, people such as Raleigh lawyer David Kirby, Greenville lawyer Tom Taft, Raleigh construction executive Fred Mills, Jacksonville businessman Louis Sewell, retired News & Observer publisher Frank Daniels Jr., state Cultural Resources Secretary Linda Carlisle, Raleigh lawyer Robert Zaytoun, and SAS founder Jim Goodnight and his philanthropist wife, Anne Goodnight.

A last-minute argument

Most observers think the TV campaign, fueled by the big money edge, is the reason Dalton has surged in several polls in the final weeks of the campaign.

Dalton has spent much of his time attending private fundraisers or working the phones to raise money to pay for his advertising campaign.

During the past week, for example, Dalton had only two public political appearances – a speech to senior Democrats in Statesville and the Liston Ramsey Spring Gala in Asheville, both Saturday.

Dalton, who participated in three televised debates, on Saturday continued to plug away on his theme that he had the experience to link education and jobs.

“Jobs and education are the two key issues,” Dalton said in an interview between campaign stops. “Of my two opponents, one talks a lot about jobs and the other talks a lot about education. I am the only candidate who talks about the intersection of jobs and education, and I’m the one candidate who has a record of using creativity and innovation to improve both the environment for jobs and education.”

Meanwhile, Dalton’s campaign late last week sent out mailings criticizing Etheridge’s votes in Congress, saying he voted to extend the Bush tax cuts in 2010.

Etheridge responded by not only defending his vote, but using it to link himself with President Barack Obama, who remains popular among Democratic primary voters. On Saturday, his campaign began airing a TV commercial showing Etheridge with Obama, saying, “Walter Dalton is attacking Bob Etheridge for supporting Barack Obama in Congress.”

The ad says that Etheridge backed extension of the Bush tax break at Obama’s request in order to extend middle class tax breaks. The ad ends: “Walter Dalton, tell the truth.”

Dalton said Saturday that he stands by the ad, saying it calls into question a series of pro-Bush votes by Etheridge. Dalton has also criticized Etheridge’s support of a 2001 trade agreement.

“So it wasn’t just a one-shot thing with Bush,” Dalton said. “Jobs is such an important issue in this campaign and he voted to give George Bush fast track trade agreements which really devastated our textile industry and our furniture industry, too.”

A jobs plan

Although Faison began hinting at a gubernatorial run even before Perdue announced that she would seek a second term, his campaign has failed to catch on, mired in the low single digits in the polls.

More than any other Democrat in the race, Faison has keyed on high statewide unemployment – an issue that polls say should be powerful. And he has pushed a jobs plan that includes raising the sales tax by seven-tenths of a percent to rehire laid-off teachers and public employees.

“I am the only Democratic candidate running for governor with a jobs plan,” Faison told a forum sponsored by the Delta Sigma Theta sorority in Chapel Hill on Thursday night.

But he has been unable to get his message out. He said fundraising has been difficult – he only raised $11,545 in contributions. A wealthy 65-year-old Orange County trial lawyer, he loaned his campaign $500,000 in December, only to pay himself back days later.

“I have really come to the conclusion that the Occupy people put their finger on something that is very important,” Faison said. “There is a sense that money should not be trying to buy elections.”

Taking on McCrory

Opinion polls suggest that the race is between Dalton and Etheridge, with few issue differences between the two. For many voters, it may come down to who is more electable, who has the most baggage, who would be the strongest candidate against presumptive Republican nominee Pat McCrory.

Munger, the Duke professor, thinks Etheridge would be the strongest Democrat.

“McCrory is a very good candidate,” Munger said. “He comes across as being an affable guy you would like. The question is who is going to run a better campaign with ads. I’ve got to think Etheridge. Dalton is stiff. He doesn’t project much of an air of confidence. He seems like a nice guy, but he is pretty colorless. Etheridge has a lot of experience in running with races where he has the sort of passion and personal ability to project caring about voters that has been tested.”

But Gary Pearce, a veteran Democratic strategist, has come to a different conclusion.

“I thought Etheridge won the debates, but Dalton clearly won the fundraising race, and that seems to have given him a pretty good lead in the polls,” Pearce said. “Dalton has shown he has the ability to be competitive on the money, and that is going to be critical with McCrory sitting on $3 million.

“There is not a lot of difference between them on anything else. Dalton probably has an advantage from being a little more of a fresh face.”

Researcher David Raynor contributed to this report.

Source: News and Observer

Walter Dalton is attacking Bob Etheridge for supporting Barack Obama in Congress.

“Walter Dalton said, ‘Bob Etheridge voted to keep the Bush tax breaks …’”

Dalton’s campaign mailed to households in Wake County, Mecklenburg County and presumably elsewhere in the state, a direct mail piece – WDNCP2 — by Presort Standard Postage. The piece arrived via the U.S. Postal Service in Raleigh on Thursday, May 3, 2012 – just five days before the May 8 Democratic Primary. The mailer contains the disclaimer “Paid for by Dalton for Governor.”

This mailer makes the following attack against Bob Etheridge:

“In Congress, Bob Etheridge voted to keep the Bush tax breaks for the richest 1% and protect billions in giveaways to Big Oil and other big corporate special interests. [HR 4853, 12/17/2010]”

“Bob Etheridge opposes the Bush tax breaks for the wealthy and special interests.”

As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Bob Etheridge voted at least seven times against “Bush tax breaks for the wealthy and special interests.”

The first part of the Bush Tax Cuts became law in 2001 after Bob Etheridge voted against them three times. The bill was initially H.R. 3, but passed into law as H.R. 1836.

The second part of the Bush Tax Cuts became law in 2003 after Bob Etheridge voted against them twice.

Some provisions of the Bush tax cuts were due to expire in 2005.  Bob Etheridge voted “Nay” twice on H.R. 4297, which extended them:

“But he supported President Obama’s compromise to keep them for two more years, in order to preserve middle class tax cuts and extend unemployment benefits.”

HR 4853, Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010, was voted on in the U.S. House on December 17, 2010.

The bill, strongly supported by President Obama, was a compromise with the Republicans in the House and its passage helped prevent a shutdown of the federal government. The compromise bill did extend the existing tax code, including the middle class tax cuts, extended unemployment insurance tax relief for millions of North Carolina families, provided estate tax relief, and expanded the Child Tax Credit which preserved benefits for nearly 600,000 children in the state.

Bob Etheridge was asked to vote for HR 4853 to break the stalemate and prevent a government shutdown. In voting for this bill, Congressman Etheridge agreed with the President, who said at the time, “It’s not perfect (but) we cannot play politics at a time when the American people are looking for us to solve problems.”

What did HR 4853 do?

The legislation provided help to many of those struggling in the economic downturn, including by:

• Ensuring the continued availability of unemployment benefits for 99 weeks for those out of work through no fault of their own in the economic downturn; and
• Providing estate tax relief for thousands of family farmers and others facing increased estate taxes.

For individuals, the bill provided a wide-range of tax reductions, including by:

• Extending reduced rates for all families, lowering the tax burden for the average family about $ 1,460;
• Extending the payroll tax holiday, a 2% reduction of taxes that meant $ 1,000 more in salary for a worker earning $ 50,000;
• Expanding the Child Tax Credit, preserving benefits for nearly 600,000 children in North Carolina;
• Increasing the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), ensuring 213,000 families in North Carolina remained eligible;
• Increasing marriage-penalty relief;
• Preventing the Alternative Minimum Tax from affecting nearly 22 million taxpayers; and
• Extending the American Opportunity Tax Credit to help families pay for college.

For businesses, the bill provided incentives for investments and targeted tax credits, including by:

• Extending the Research and Experimentation tax credit, to reward those who invest in new technologies and development, the precise kind of company North Carolina’s new economy is built upon;
• Preserving incentives for investing in equipment, property, and supplies, to make sure businesses are able to continue to invest in rebuilding our economy; and
• Helping business hire veterans and other targeted groups with the Work Opportunity Tax Credit.

The last days of early voting in the primary elections in Beaufort County are attracting large numbers of voters and some candidates who are seeking those votes.

As of Friday around noon, 1,986 Beaufort County voters had cast ballots in early voting at the Beaufort County Board of Elections headquarters off of Highland Drive, an increase of 151 from Thursday’s ending count.

Elections officials predict an even heavier turnout Saturday, when early voting in the county ends at 1 p.m.

Heavy early voting — prompted by a constitutional amendment and a referendum on a local sales-tax proposition — has attracted candidates seeking voter support to the polls.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bob Etheridge stopped at the Board of Elections headquarters to chat with voters before making a campaign stop at Frank’s Pizza in Washington on Friday.

Etheridge said eastern North Carolina is particularly important to the Democratic candidates not only in the May primary election but also in the Nov. 6 general election as well.

“Eastern North Carolina is the key to a Democratic victory in November and always has been,” he said in an interview. “No Democrat has become governor without carrying eastern North Carolina in modern times.”

Etheridge noted that early voter turnout has been heavy at all of his campaign stops.

That heavy turnout, combined with some particularly tight campaigns for the state Legislature, has prompted several Republican candidates to withstand the recent heat wave to stump for votes in Beaufort County outside the Board of Elections headquarters.

Jeremy D. Adams, a candidate for the N.C. House of Representatives from the 6th District, said he opted to solicit votes in Beaufort County instead of his home in Dare County because of the number of voters going to the polls here.

On Friday, he was joined outside the polls by two other GOP candidates — Bill Cook, seeking a seat in the state Senate, and state-auditor candidate Greg Dority — drawn by the large turnout.

“We’re predicting a large number of voters going to the polls here,” Dority, a Beaufort County resident, said. “There are some candidates in very tight races and every vote will count.”

Voters may mark ballots at the Board of Elections offices from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

After that, voters will have to wait until the polls open Tuesday to vote.

In addition to a slate of national, state and local races, Beaufort County voters are marking ballots to show their positions on a proposed amendment to the state constitution and a sales-tax proposition.

State and local elections officials have said interest in the proposed constitutional amendment, also known as the marriage amendment, is driving interest in early voting this year.

Statewide, turnout is on a pace to exceed that of any primary election since the state implemented one-stop voting in 2000, according to recent news reports and state elections figures.

The first week of one-stop voting statewide surpassed the first week in the presidential primary election of 2008 between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, which drew 102,815 votes. At the end of the first week of voting this year, 114,243 one-stop votes had been cast, according to state Board of Elections numbers.

As of early Friday morning, 293,345 one-stop votes had been cast. Including mail-in ballots, 305,704 people, or about five percent of those registered to vote, have cast ballots since the early voting period began, according to state elections numbers.

Statewide, as of Friday, about 46 percent of votes cast have been Democrat; 34 percent have been Republican, 20 percent have been unaffiliated and less than 1 percent have been Libertarian, according to state elections numbers.

Local and state elections officials predict a flurry of early voting Saturday.

The Associated Press contributed material to this report.

Source: Washington Daily News

RALEIGH – It was a spark that ignited at an early age, and a teacher’s encouragement that launched a life long career.

With education as a platform, Bob Etheridge entered the world of public office as a county commissioner for Harnett County in the early 1970s.

“They pushed me they didn’t take any excuse from me, and I think that’s what teachers do everyday,” said Etheridge. “I led a fight to build new schools and start a water system and an airport plan.”

His dedication to community enhancement led him down a continued path to serve his state. He spent 10 years in the General Assembly where he introduced a basic education plan that put thousands of teacher in classrooms.

In 1988, he was elected as state Superintendent of Public Instruction for two terms.

“We put in the report card for the first time, increased teacher salary, increased teachers and teacher assistance, education has been that common denominator…” he said.

Before his defeat in 2010, Etheridge then went on to serve in Congress for 14 years. His goal was to build and renovate schools, and increase accessibility for college scholarships.

Now in his run to become North Carolina’s next governor, public education continues to drive his campaign. He said he believes the future of North Carolina starts in the classroom.

“Never have I seen the challenges as great as I’ve seen right now,” he said.

Etheridge says a skilled workforce is the foundation for economic prosperity – an equation he said brings more jobs and opportunity.

“You cannot move forward by taking the legs off of our community colleges and universities that provide research and opportunity for the future,” said Etheridge.

“It’s imperative to have a governor that is committed to economic growth, that understands people need jobs, but you’re not going to get those jobs unless you get the investment in public education,” he said.

Etheridge said with recent strong showings by Republicans in state races, he said he believes it’s essential the primary vote goes to a strong Democratic candidate who can compete against a tough Republican challenger in November.

“Leadership, vision, and I know how to do it, have done it and that’s what the state needs right now,” he said. “I’m looking forward to the opportunity and I hope folks will allow me that opportunity May 8 and I can promise I will work hard has I’ve always done.”

Source: News14

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) — Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bob Etheridge says his campaign remains viable – and could even pick up steam – despite new polling numbers that show him in a big hole.

The latest data from Public Policy Polling shows Walter Dalton leading Etheridge 36 to 26 percent.

Dalton has leapfrogged Etheridge in the last three PPP polls – going from 15, to 26, and now 36 percent over a matter of weeks.

Etheridge is no stranger to tough political battles. In 2010, he lost his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives to Republican Renee Ellmers by less than 1,500 votes.

Now, trailing in the polls in his run for Governor, he’s crisscrossing the state, shaking hands, kissing babies, and letting voters know why he should be governor of the Tar Heel State.

Tuesday, he spent about an hour in Fayetteville outside the Cliffdale Recreation Center trying to persuade residents to support his bid for governor. He said he’s gotten a late start in the race and is not worried about trailing in the polls.

“The Lieutenant Governor has been at it four years, and the other folks have been at it a good while, but you know it’s, I got into it cause it’s really a time for a change,” Etheridge offered.

The Army veteran brings a wealth of political experience to the table. He served as a Harnett County commissioner, spent nine years in the North Carolina House of Representatives, and two terms as the state’s superintendent of public instruction.

Etheridge said he’s found that education and jobs are on the minds of voters.

“If you’re going to have good jobs, you got to have the educational foundation. They’re linked together. What you do in education really drives the job creation and opportunity. If you look at North Carolina, where we’ve had good education, we have job growth and opportunity,” he said.

The Democratic primary is May 8 and early voting has already begun.

Source: ABC11

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) – With one week left to go before election day, Bob Etheridge is campaigning across North Carolina like he did twenty years ago. He’s on a statewide ballot for the first time since 1992, when he won a second term as Superintendent of Public Instruction. Etheridge then served as Congressman from North Carolina’s 2^nd District from 1996 to 2011, losing in a close re-election bid to current Rep. Renee Ellmers.

Etheridge, like many leading Democrats, learned about the opening at the top of their party in late January. Governor Bev Perdue decided she would not run for re-election, setting off a flurry of candidates considering running for the office. Etheridge says he had no plans to run until Perdue’s announcement. He could not transfer his federal campaign dollars into this election, which put him financially behind fellow candidate Walter Dalton, the current lieutenant governor.

“It’s like running a marathon as a sprint,” the 70-year old native of Sampson County said during an interview in the WECT Studios. “We’ve had a lot of long days.  But, people remember the good things we did, but more importantly they remember what we’ve been through the last few years and they want to see North Carolina reclaim its position in education.”

Education is the main issue in Etheridge’s campaign. He believes the priority should be on early childhood education and pre-kindergarten programs.  Etheridge says programs like “More at Four” and “Smart Start” are part of the answer, but not the entire answer. “If you don’t start early, you really pay a heavy price over the years,” he said. “The reason I call education an investment is that you have to be willing to invest today, to get a return down the road.”

Etheridge also thinks it is a good move for North Carolina to apply for a waiver from the No Child Left Behind program. He calls it “a straight-jacket, which does not allow teachers any creativity in the classroom”.

When it comes to business incentives, Etheridge is not a big fan of the practice. One way he says to “ramp down” on using incentives to lure businesses into North Carolina, is by “ramping up” on education. “We need to continue to do what we can to attract jobs, because we need jobs badly,” Etheridge says. “But, education is the key because if you don’t have an educated workforce, and the training force in our community colleges, we won’t get the jobs nor will we retain them.”

Etheridge cites his time in Congress as a positive as he campaigns for Governor. When asked if he would be able to work with a Republican-controlled General Assembly, he talks about the “Hometown Heroes Act of 2003″, which he introduced to help provide death benefits for firemen and rescue workers. He says it passed with a Republican President and Republican Congress.

Etheridge plans on taking a cue from Terry Sanford, who served North Carolina as Governor (1961-65) and US Senator  (1986-1993).  “The first thing I would do when I walk in as Governor , I will pull together business people and a large group of folks from this state and say ‘let’s sit down and look at our state and say, what do we want to be ten years from now?’ Terry Sanford did that in the 60′s, and marvelous things happened.”

While familiar to many in North Carolina, Etheridge got national attention in 2010 for an internet video of a confrontation on a street in Washington, DC. Two young men approached Etheridge and asked if he “fully supported the Obama agenda”. Etheridge responded several times with “Who are you?” and actually grabbed one of the young men. When the video appeared online, Etheridge apologized immediately. Many believe it may have contributed to his defeat in the November election.

“They know it was a political stunt, Republicans took credit for it in the New York Times on the day after the election and were proud of it,” Etheridge says about the incident. “Those are the kinds of dirty tricks people are tired of, they want leadership. They want government to work and they want people to work together. I see this as a critical turning point for our state, and we’re at a crossroads. We have to decide whether we are going down the road for hard work, working together and develop prosperity. Or, are we going down the other road of dirty politics, division and name-calling. I don’t think North Carolina wants to go that way.”

Source: WECT 6

RALEIGH – Gubernatorial candidate Bob Etheridge met with friends and supporters on the Capitol Grounds in Raleigh Monday to announce the endorsement of more than 100 current and former local, state and Congressional officials, past presidents of the North Carolina Association of Educators, and organizations.

Speaking at the event were State Senator and former Speaker of the House Dan Blue, Congressman G.K. Butterfield, Congressman David Price, former U.S. Senator Robert Morgan, former Congressman Tim Valentine, former Congresswoman Eva Clayton, and former mayor of Raleigh Charles Meeker.

Senator Dan Blue, who moderated the conference, said, “Bob Etheridge is a man who has come together with the time and the moment to make education what it ought to be in this state in order to lead the state in a positive direction.”

Former Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker stated that “Bob has the right blend of experience and new energy to get our state moving again.”

Congressman G.K. Butterfield asserted that “Bob understands the relationship between an educated workforce and a strong economy.” “Democratic voters must look at the candidates and compare their qualifications and their ability to compete against a well-funded Republican political machine. Bob Etheridge meets that test,” he added.

Former Congresswoman Eva Clayton said of Etheridge, “We need a leader, not only who believes in North Carolina, but who is willing to be passionate about it. He will provide the sort of leadership that will make North Carolina the state it needs to be.”

Former Congressman Tim Valentine endorsed Etheridge stating that “he has the experience, he has the intelligence, he has the native ability, and he has the heart to keep North Carolina rolling in the right direction.” He proclaimed, “The state of North Carolina needs Bob Etheridge to lead it for the next four years.”

Former U.S. Senator Robert Morgan spoke of how much Etheridge has done for the state and his home county, Harnett County. “Bob is the kind of person who can get things done and isn’t afraid to fight for what is right.”

Congressman David Price said “‘Bob Etheridge’ and ‘education’ are synonymous in many people’s minds and for a very good reason.” “What leadership is about is following your conscience, following what you know is in the public interest, and then being a champion for that out on the campaign trail and in the public arena,” something Price said Etheridge has exemplified his whole life.

Bob Etheridge concluded the event by saying, “This may be the most important election in our lifetimes. It will determine the direction of North Carolina for decades to come. That’s why I’m running, because I do believe that education is the foundation that you build these good jobs for the future on.”

The Etheridge campaign released a roster of civic and community leaders and current and former elected officials from towns, cities and counties from all corners of the state.

The endorsement event came just days after the Etheridge campaign announced “Educators for Bob Etheridge,” a group of more than 500 current and former classroom teachers, principals, superintendents and leaders in the community college system, higher education and other public agencies. Among the leaders of the Etheridge organization are several past presidents of the N.C. Association of Educators, including Cecil Banks of Raleigh, Eddie Davis of Durham, Gladys Fowler Graves of Caswell County, Frances Cummings of Lumberton and Rose Marie Lowry-Townsend of Pembroke.

Etheridge was also endorsed last week by the Professional Paramedics and Firefighters of North Carolina and cited for his bipartisan efforts to gain passage of the “Hometown Heroes Act” by a Republican House and Senate and signed into law by President George Bush.

Bob Etheridge’s life’s work has been about improving the public education system in North Carolina. As a County Commissioner, State Representative, State Superintendent of Schools, and US Representative, Congressman Etheridge has dedicated his life to public service. As a result, his life’s work is deeply rooted in providing better education for the children of North Carolina.

The following names were released at the conference:

Supporters of Bob –

Dan Blue, Former Speaker, State Senator

Charles Meeker, Former Mayor, Raleigh

Eva Clayton, Former Congresswoman

Tim Valentine, Former Congressman

Robert Morgan, Former US Senator

GK Butterfield, Congressman, 1st District

David Price, Congressman, 4th District

Jim Clyburn, Congressman, Democratic Leader, South Carolina

Jackie Johns, Councilman, Garner

Val Applewhite, Councilwoman, Fayetteville

Sidney Dunston, County Commissioner, Franklin County

James West, County Commissioner, Wake County

Gerald Arnold, Former Chief Judge, Court of Appeals

Bill Jordan, Former Mayor, Smithfield

Jimmy Love, Former State Representative, Lee County

N. Carnell Robinson, Mayor Pro Temp, Dunn

R. H. Ellington, Mayor, Angier

Ronnie Williams, Mayor, Garner

Donald Rains, Mayor, Princeton

Cornelia Olive, Mayor, Sanford

Peter White, Sheriff, Vance County

Larry Bell, State Representative, Cumberland County

Marvin Lucas, State Representative, Cumberland County

Ethel Booth, Board of Education, Beaufort County

Mildred Council, Board of Education, Pitt County

Larry Warlick, Councilman, Archdale

Walter Pedrojew, Councilman, Linden

John Cantey, Councilman, Lumberton

Steve Rao, Councilman, Morrisville

Leopold Cohen, Councilman, Sanford

Samuel Gaskins, Councilman, Sanford

Maxine Harris, Councilwoman, Clinton

Syble Spruill, Councilwoman, Creswell

Ed Booth, County Commissioner, Beaufort County

Delilah Blanks, County Commissioner, Bladen County

Charles Peterson, County Commissioner, Bladen County

Kenneth Edge, County Commissioner, Cumberland County

Dan Andrews, County Commissioner, Harnett County

Lou Richardson, County Commissioner, Nash County

Mary Wells, County Commissioner, Nash County

Betty Lou Ward, County Commissioner, Wake County

John Bell, County Commissioner, Wayne County

Foyle Hightower, Former State Representative, Anson County

Ronnie Smith, Former State Representative, Pamlico County

John Spratt, Former Congressman, South Carolina

Joy Ellison, Former Councilwoman, Laurinburg

William Tarpley, Former Mayor, Green Level

Martha Wood, Former Mayor, Winston Salem

Otto Debruhl, Former Register of Deeds, Buncombe County

Malcolm Fulcher, Former State Representative, Carteret County

Owen Strickland, Mayor, Bailey

Donald Andrews, Mayor, Broadway

Ellene Leonard, Mayor, Castalia

Oscar Harris, Mayor, Dunn

Jerry Tolley, Mayor, Elon

Patsy Carson, Mayor, Erwin

Elic Senter, Mayor, Franklinton

Elmer Padgett, Mayor, Holly Ridge

Kendell Spence, Mayor, Lake Park

Glenn McFadden, Mayor, Lillington

Karl Pernell, Mayor, Louisburg

Gwendolyn Vann, Mayor, Magnolia

Frank Deese, Mayor, Marshville

Jeff Holt, Mayor, Pine Level

Charles Johnson, Mayor, Siler City

John Miller, Mayor, Sparta

Wilbert Harrison, Mayor, Speed

Chris Rey, Mayor, Spring Lake

Huell Aekins, Mayor, Wade

Robert Matheny, Mayor, Zebulon

Prentis Benston, Sheriff, Bladen County

Michael Welch, Sheriff, Caswell County

Earl “Moose” Butler, Sheriff, Cumberland County

Dick Jenkins, Sheriff, Nash County

Maggie Jeffus, State Representative, Guilford County

Angela Bryant, State Representative, Nash County

Ken Goodman, State Representative, Richmond County

Frank McGuirt, State Representative, Union County

Willie Peele, Former Superintendent of Martin County School

Dudley Flood, Former Asst Superintendent of Public Instruction

Gladys Fowler Graves, Former NCAE President

Prezell Robinson, Former President, St. Augustine’s College

Frances Cummings, Former NCAE President

Fred Cundiff, Former Regional Director – Department of Public Instruction

Kay Norman, Rowan/Salisbury Board of Education

Jerry Price, Former Director of Education Services for the NC Dept. of Corrections

Willie Peels, Former Superintendent of Martin County Schools

Cecil S. Banks, Former NCAE President

Grier Bradshaw, Former Principal, High Point

Jane Burke, Former Superintendent of Roanoke Rapids City Schools

Tony Parker, Former Superintendent in Johnston and Beaufort counties

Fred Bartholomew, Former vice president of state principal/assistant principal association

Dorothy Hampton, Former Art Education Supervisor, Buncombe County

Wade Hampton, Former Vocational Education Director for Asheville City Schools

Jim Ellerbe, Vice-President for business at Campbell University, Former Superintendent of Johnston and Northampton counties

Morris Walker, Former Superintendent of Ashe County

Organizations –

Bladen County Improvement Association

Raleigh Wake Citizens Association

Wake County Voter Education Coalition

Winston Salem Chronicle

Warren County Political Action Council

United Food and Commercial Workers – UFCW Local 1208

United Auto Workers – UAW Local 3520

Creative Loafing – Charlotte

The Carolinian

The Record of Wilkes

The Professional Fire Fighters and Paramedics of North Carolina

North Carolina Letter Carriers (NALC)

Hoke County Civic League

RALEIGH, N.C. – A group of more than 500 people representing a broad range of public education experience is supporting Bob Etheridge for the Democratic nomination for Governor in the May 8 primary.

Cecil S. Banks, three-term president of the N.C. Association of Educators (NCAE) is heading the effort.

“We have had an outpouring of support from current and retired education professionals and students preparing for a career in public education, and more are signing up every day,” Banks announced.

“The common theme for why these educators support Bob Etheridge is that they know Bob stood up for public education as a county commissioner, a state legislator, as state superintendent of schools and in Congress,” Banks said, “and they know as Governor he will fight to invest in and improve our schools.”

Banks said that the group includes past presidents of the NCAE, current and former classroom teachers, former school superintendents, principals, community college and university faculty and staff, as well as several people preparing for a career in public education.

Banks said members of the group are contacting other educators they know across the state and voters in their home communities.  “We will be making phone calls, personal visits and sending e-mails to our friends, neighbors and colleagues during the next two weeks before the May 8 primary and then plan to be very active for Bob Etheridge during the general election campaign,” Banks said.

Etheridge began his career in public service when he was a Harnett County businessman, became a county commissioner and pushed through the improvement and consolidation of the county’s high schools.   He continued to support his family as a businessman as he served ten years in the state legislature.

Etheridge served eight years as the North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction and was elected to Congress from the state’s second district, serving for fourteen years.

Among the leaders of “Educators for Bob Etheridge” are:

Cecil S. Banks, Raleigh – The long-time classroom teacher in Greensboro was president of the N.C. Association of Educators (NCAE) in 1984-85, 1994-95 and 1996-97.  “Bob Etheridge embodies the best of North Carolina traditions:  hard work, perseverance, and the belief that through a sound public education system, every individual can achieve his or her potential.”

Eddie Davis, Durham – Former member of the State Board of Education, past president of NCAE and long-time classroom teacher in the Durham public schools.  “Bob Etheridge stood tall against the tactics of the Jim Martin Republican majority on the State Board of Education when he was State Superintendent.  He stood tall for public schools and for educators when he served in the state legislature.  I know we can count on Bob Etheridge to continue to stand tall for North Carolina as our next Governor.”

Dudley Flood, Raleigh – Long-time Assistant Superintendent of Public Instruction and one of the leaders of the successful effort to integrate North Carolina’s public schools.  “Bob Etheridge is the most principled man I know. The timing is precisely right for Bob Etheridge to be our next Governor.  He has the right experience and the right leadership skills to lead us in these troubled times.”

Rose Marie Lowry-Townsend, Pembroke – She is a former teacher, principal and local superintendent and currently mentors beginning principals.  He served as president of the NCAE. “Bob Etheridge’s commitment to public education and to children has been his guiding principle as a legislator, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, and as a member of Congress.  He will bring that same commitment to the Governor’s office.”

Gladys Fowler Graves, Caswell County – Long-time classroom teacher in the Guilford County public schools, past president of NCAE, directed the Teaching Fellows Program at N.C. Public School Forum.  “Bob Etheridge has never retreated from his support of public education, whether he was serving as a county commissioner, state legislator, state superintendent, or as a member of Congress.  He is exactly the person we need as Governor during these challenging times.”

Grier Bradshaw, Kannapolis – Principal in High Point for 14 years and served for 21 years as superintendent of Kannapolis City schools.  “Bob Etheridge is a man of the people.  He has served us well in every position he has held and with great integrity and energy.  He will make us an outstanding Governor.”

Fred Bartholomew, Princeton – Served 38 years as principal, member of Johnston County Board of Education for eight years, five as chair, vice president of state principal/assistant principal association.  “Bob has been a friend of public school principals and assistant principals as a legislator and especially when he was state schools superintendent.  I trust Bob to do what is right and to stand up for public education, which is something we definitely need.  He will make a great Governor.”

Jane Burke, Wilson – Former teacher, principal and superintendent of Roanoke Rapids City Schools.   “I believe Bob Etheridge puts education first, as it should be.  He will make us a wonderful education Governor.”

Fred Cundiff, Greensboro – Former assistant superintendent for the Greensboro City schools and a regional director for the Department of Public Instruction.  “With the crisis that we’re in regarding public education and the legislature with which we’ve had to work, a man like Bob Etheridge is a must if we have any chance to improve public education in North Carolina.”

Jim Ellerbe, Clayton – Leader with community college system for 17 years, vice-president for business at Campbell University, chairman of State Textbook Commission, superintendent in Johnston and Northampton counties and the Chapel Hill/Carrboro schools.

Dorothy and Wade Hampton, Asheville – Both retired classroom teachers, Dorothy was an art education supervisor with the Buncombe County schools and Wade was vocational education director for the Asheville City schools.

Kay Norman, Salisbury – Currently serving on Rowan/Salisbury Board of Education, former classroom teacher and Head Start director.  “The educational needs for our children cannot be left to the whims of individuals who are not advocates for public education.  I have served this community for 18 years on the Rowan/Salisbury Board of Education.  We are trying to ‘do more with less’ and have lost over $ 10 million in state funding over the last four years.  I support Bob Etheridge for Governor because I am fired up and ready to fight for our children and those who have yet to be born!”

Tony Parker, Smithfield – Served as Superintendent in Johnston and Beaufort counties and for Whiteville City schools and is also a former principal in Cumberland and Robeson counties.  “Bob is cut out of the same cloth as Terry Sanford in his commitment to public education.  I believe in Bob.  He is an honest, trustworthy person who is dedicated to fighting for the things he believes in.”

Willie Peele, Williamston – Served as Superintendent of Martin County schools from 1992-99 and long-time classroom teacher.  “Bob Etheridge understands the special problems that rural schools come up against.   He has dealt with the challenges of our public schools as a county commissioner, a North Carolina legislator and as head of our state school system.  I can’t think of a better person to lead our state in the next four years.  I am with him all the way.”

Rev. Dr. Jerry Price, Garner – Retired state employee with the Department of Corrections.  Was Director of Educational Services for the agency.  “Mr. Etheridge worked closely with us when he was superintendent of schools to make sure that our teachers were paid fairly and in line with the public schools.   He always treated everyone fairly and provided great leadership in that position.  I am very excited about him being our next Governor.”

Morris Walker, West Jefferson – High school coach and principal and served as Superintendent of Ashe County schools for 10 years.

Jessica Jones: Bob Etheridge was born at home in Turkey, North Carolina, as the first of five children. He says neither his mother nor his father finished high school.

Bob Etheridge: My parents were what today would be called poor, they were tenant farmers, didn’t own the land nor the house, but I grew up in Johnston County, and it was public education that gave me the chance.

His parents made sure all their children went to school. But as a farm boy, Etheridge also had work to do before he went to class.

Etheridge: My job as the oldest of five children was to milk the cow. the thing you learn about that is you gotta do it every day, you gotta do it at a certain time, the cow knows it real soon if you don’t go, and there are dire consequences for not doing it. And you gotta do it 365 days of the year.

He says the experience taught him how important it is to be diligent. He didn’t miss any school until he was sick and had to go to the hospital in the eighth grade. After high school, Etheridge worked in a cotton mill for two years to money for his first semester of college. He headed to Campbell, where he walked on to the basketball team and persuaded the coach to give him a scholarship. Etheridge says he was lucky to be able to attend college.

Etheridge: Public education was the ticket for me to have the opportunity. And I think that’s under assault today in this state. Not only the pre- Kindergarten, early childhood level..and you know that’s the American Dream. There’s still a lot of young folks across the state and adults who need an opportunity.

If elected governor, Etheridge says he would increase funding for public schools to hire teachers and other school personnel who lost their jobs because of state budget cuts. He says he’s against enrollment caps and tuition increases at state universities and community colleges.

Etheridge: I really think that we’re at a crossroads in North Carolina. We gotta decide as a state that North Carolina’s gonna recommit itself to quality education because to do that you’ve really got to invest in public education, so that we have those 21st century jobs with a 21st century education system as a foundation.

Etheridge has a long resume of public service to bolster his candidacy. After college and two years in the Army, he worked for an athletic equipment company. Etheridge was elected a county commissioner in 1973, then served in the State House of Representatives, and later became Superintendent of Public Instruction. In 1997 he was elected to Congress, but he lost the seat in a difficult race in the last election cycle to Republican Renee Ellmers. During the campaign, a Republican operative with a video camera recorded Etheridge losing his cool. Etheridge says it didn’t help.
Etheridge: I wish I had approached it a little differently. I apologized immediately, but that’s the kind of dirty trick that has no place in public life and certainly not in politics. The Republican party was awful proud of it the day after the election. They put an article in the New York Times and acknowledged they were behind it. They did it and felt it hurt my campaign.

But Etheridge says if elected governor he’d reach across the aisle. He’s long been known as a moderate Democrat who doesn’t veer too far to the left.

Etheridge: You gotta be willing to pull people together across not so much party lines, that’s necessary sometimes, but you really bring them across ideological lines, where people understand there’s a common purpose that’s bigger than all of us.

And Etheridge says he’s the best candidate to be able to do that.
Jessica Jones, North Carolina Public Radio, WUNC.

Source: WUNC 91.5