Posted on 07/17/2012 7:36:11 AM PDT by SharpRightTurn
Voters in three North Carolina Congressional districts head to the polls today to decide the GOP nominees in runoff elections. The Tar Heel State represents House Republicans’ most fertile territory this cycle, with the party expected to net a gain of at least two seats and as many as four.
8th district
The most competitive race tonight is taking place in the 8th district, pitting former Hill aide Richard Hudson, backed by the establishment, against dentist Scott Keadle, a former Iredell County commissioner who is backed by the anti-tax Club for Growth.
“We’re finishing strong,” Hudson told Roll Call on Monday. “We knocked on 3,000 doors over the weekend. There’s a lot of momentum out there.”
Just how competitive is this race to take on deeply vulnerable Democratic Rep. Larry Kissell? Outside groups have spent more than $1.6 million on the primary and runoff, according to Federal Election Commission filings.
The Club for Growth and its affiliated groups have gone in heavy for Keadle, to the tune of more than $720,000. The YG Action Fund, a super PAC aligned with House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (Va.), has spent more than half a million dollars backing Hudson.
Hudson is a former district director for ex-Rep. Robin Hayes (R), whom Kissell unseated in 2008. Hayes is now the chairman of the state Republican Party.
Unaligned North Carolina GOP insiders see Hudson as the favorite to win, but with just a tiny fraction of the electorate expected to vote today, a surprise outcome is possible. Both candidates would have a better-than-even chance of unseating Kissell.
9th district
In the race to replace retiring Rep. Sue Myrick (R), former state Sen. Robert Pittenger faces Myrick-endorsed Mecklenburg County Commissioner Jim Pendergraph. Pittenger, who spent more than $940,000 from April 19 to June 27, has the edge over Pendergraph, who spent just $231,000 during the same period. The winner of the primary is almost certain to be the new Member from the Republican-leaning district.
11th district
In the western district of retiring Rep. Heath Shuler (D), real estate investor Mark Meadows has a strong edge over businessman Vance Patterson. In the May 8 eight-person primary, Meadows received 38 percent to Patterson’s 24 percent. GOP insiders believe Meadows has shored up his support and will win with ease.
The winner will face Democratic nominee Hayden Rogers, Shuler’s former chief of staff.
The GOP nominee is likely to win in a district that is expected to overwhelmingly favor Mitt Romney in November. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) would have won the newly configured district in the 2008 presidential election with 58 percent of the vote.
Heath Shuler retiring at age 40 to avoid being defeated.
Any Tar Heel Staters or other political junkies out there who can speak to these races, particularly the one involving Keadle?
Vote Mark Meadows he goes to my Church and is very conservative.
Heath Shuler retiring at age 40 to avoid being defeated.
Smart cookie. I wish Santorum would have done that when he lost because he would be the next President of the United States of America.
“Vote Mark Meadows he goes to my Church and is very conservative.”
Very good to hear, thanks. The article sounds as though Meadows is the favorite. Is that your impression, too?
Voted for Keadle this morning- turnout appeared very light.
“Voted for Keadle this morning- turnout appeared very light.”
Any prediction on how the Keadle/Hudson race will go?
Hudson’s guys poured on the negative TV ads the last couple of days, so in my opinion it would give him an edge.
Shuler former chief of Staff mystery got 300,000 in two weeks
Mark has put in over 350,000 himself and I know he can get alot more if he needs it
North Carolina looks discouraging tonight. Establishment hack Richard Hudson defeated TEA Party conservative Scott Keadle by a wide margin and it looks like Robert Pettinger bought the runoff, defeating Charlotte Sheriff Jim Pendergraph. A good sign is Mark Meadows easily winning in Ashville, but I don’t know anything about his opponent.
http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NC/40173/91757/en/summary.html
Crud.
Well Hudson better do his job and take out Pelosi’s boy toy Larry Kissell.
Is Robert Pittenger a hack too?
In other news Congresswoman Sue Myrick’s son is the GOP nominee for LT Governor.
I never noticed before but there are a lot of women in statewide office in NC. They currently have 7 offices to the dudes 5.
“North Carolina looks discouraging tonight. Establishment hack Richard Hudson defeated TEA Party conservative Scott Keadle by a wide margin and it looks like Robert Pettinger bought the runoff, defeating Charlotte Sheriff Jim Pendergraph. A good sign is Mark Meadows easily winning in Ashville, but I don’t know anything about his opponent.”
Thanks for the update, Clintonfatigued. I went to bed early last night and was holding out hope for better news. Well, the struggle against Dimosocialists and Republican establishment party hacks never ends. I hope Meadows’ victory signals a move in the right direction.
“Well Hudson better do his job and take out Pelosi’s boy toy Larry Kissell.”
If he runs the same ads he did against Keadle it might work- associating his opponent with Obama incessantly did well, unfortunately.
Eric Cantor’s Young Guns Super PAC spent a lot of money to defeat Scott Keadle in the runoff. I’m thinking there is more than antipathy to the TEA Party going on here. There’s a chance that the youthful-looking Richard Hudson is being groomed for something bigger, either a leadership position or perhaps a future U.S. Senate candidacy.
I don’t know what to think of Robert Pittenger. All I know is that he’s a former state legislator and he’s rich.
Hudson was Virginia Foxx’s Chief of Staff and was endorsed by Rick Santorum. If those two aren’t conservative enough for you I don’t know what you expect.
“If those two aren’t conservative enough for you I don’t know what you expect.”
One of the goals of the TEA Party and grassroots conservatism in general is to put more conservative people into office; also, people who are less creatures of the Republican Establishment. Hudson in this case represents the GOP-E; a professional politico who if elected will just be another party hack.
. Hudson in this case represents the GOP-E; a professional politico who if elected will just be another party hack.
Sorry, but I’ll trust the judgement of Foxx and Santorum over your prediction.
Foxx’s maybe. Santorum, not so much.
Meadows is key, he'll be great and would make a great Senatorial candidate as well.
In other news, Mike Causey beat Piggy Morgan for the Insurance nomination.
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