Posted on 11/05/2004 6:30:43 PM PST by NCSteve
Tuesday’s election returned control of both state legislative chambers to Democrats, but House Co-Speaker Richard Morgan says the co-speakership concept is still alive.
Despite Republican losses in the North Carolina General Assembly, Morgan said the GOP has made hefty gains by re-electing President Bush and electing Congressman Richard Burr to the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Sen. John Edwards. Burr’s election gives the state two Republican senators.
Morgan takes no blame for legislative losses. He said he worked very hard to elect Republicans across the state. In addition to campaigning for Republicans, Morgan said he donated more than $600,000 from his own campaign treasury to help other GOP candidates and Republican causes in the past two years.
“I worked very hard for Republican candidates,” Morgan said late Wednesday. “You don’t hear that from my Republican political adversaries.”
He was referring to Republicans in the state House, former legislators and state and local leaders who have worked to topple him from his status as House co-speaker. Controversy surrounding his ascension to the speakership last year led to a vote to oust Morgan from the state Republican Executive Committee earlier this year.
Morgan was accused of betraying the party by cutting a power-sharing deal with Democrats when the chamber was evenly divided between the two parties. It resulted in the first co-speakers. Democratic Rep. Jim Black of Mecklenburg County was the other co-speaker.
Asked if he has a chance to return as co-speaker of the House, Morgan said it is too early for predictions and that he has had little time to think about future leadership roles.
“Is it possible? Certainly it is possible,” Morgan said.
In a telephone interview, Morgan said he was in the same condition as everyone else who stayed up all night Tuesday waiting for election returns.
“I feel that Tuesday was a real good night for Republicans, especially for Richard Burr and President Bush,” he said. “Generally, I have a positive outlook for a strong stabilized government under their leadership.
“But it is much too early to predict the leadership structure of the (state) House, and it would not be appropriate to talk about it in advance, especially with the special session coming up tomorrow.”
Unofficial results of the Tuesday election give Democrats a 63-57 lead over Republicans in the House, which means Democrats could elect a sole speaker. The current makeup includes 62 Republicans and 58 Democrats.
The House became evenly divided 60-60 last year when one Republican representative abruptly switched affiliation to the Democratic Party, an action that precipitated the leadership voting situation leading to the historic election of two speakers. That representative later switched back to the Republican Party but lost his re-election bid in the July primary election.
Political make-up of the Senate remains in the hands of Democrats. As of mid-week, the Senate had 28 Democrats and 20 Republicans, with two other races undecided.
Collaboration Sill Needed
Political observers said the shift to Democratic control in the House was the result of redistricting and fallout from the statewide GOP squabble of the past year.
Despite the Democratic takeover, Morgan predicted that the Democrats would need to continue their collaboration with Republicans because they don’t have a really decisive majority in the House.
Morgan said he had already talked to Black, and that they would continue to work together as long as they remain co-speakers.
“Party divisions are too close for one party to rule without collaborative efforts with the other party,” Morgan said. “Both parties need the discipline of collaboration.”
Although the co-speakership situation caused Morgan to suffer political problems within his own party, most observers have praised the results of that collaboration. They pointed to greater efficiency, including shorter sessions and prompt passage of the state budget.
Morgan said he and other legislators were busy Wednesday working on the special session called for Thursday to consider economic development incentives for a proposed Dell computer facility in the Triad region. Gov. Mike Easley called the session to consider offering tax credits and other incentives to attract an industry that could create as many as 1,200 jobs or $100 million in investments within five years.
“I’m proud of our leadership in this session,” he said. “Continuing this collaborative leadership will continue to be my focus.”
Morgan said that re-election of President Bush has renewed his sense of confidence in the process.
“Now the healing can begin,” he said. “And at least this year we don’t have the long wait we had four years ago to know the results of the election.”
Morgan said Republican leaders would use the president’s leadership as a gauge for future leadership in North Carolina and across the nation.
“Richard Burr is a promising statewide leader, and I expect him to grow in stature,” he said.
Democratic Gov. Mike Easley’s re-election came as no surprise to Morgan. He said North Carolinians can be expected to re-elect sitting governors.
“Easley has been effective as governor,” he said. “I consider him to be a friend, even if he is from a different party.”
Preparing for Special Session
Morgan said he met with his own staff Wednesday to discuss the Thursday legislative session and the Dell incentives package. He did not mention any discussion of the staff’s future as employees of the co-speaker.
Legislators received a briefing on the Dell proposal Thursday morning, but Morgan said he had few details. The special session convened at 2 p.m. Thursday.
Morgan said he is not critical of the governor’s proposal because at that time he did not have all the facts.
“I think cautious would be a more appropriate word than critical,” he said. “I want to see a draft of the package and have time to do research.
“The legislative process is a deliberative process. It’s not supposed to be one that you take in and pass in a few minutes.”
Morgan said that he had already offered his congratulations to Easley and his condolences to Patrick Ballantine, the Republican who lost to Easley. Ballantine is a former state senator.
Allies Win
Many of the Republicans elected to the House are allies of Morgan, and he expressed satisfaction that many of his allies would be returning in 2005 and that he would have new ones as well.
On Wednesday night, he and other legislators were making plans to take two fellow Republican winners out to dinner. The honorees were Rep. Wilma Sherrill of Buncombe County and Rep. Julia Howard of Davie County, who chaired important committees.
Morgan said that Sherrill and Howard are also members of the Women’s Caucus and wrote “a very kind letter on my half.”
Morgan won re-election by a narrow margin in the July primary but had no Democratic opposition in the general election. His primary win over Republican challenger Peggy Crutchfield followed a bitter campaign in which Elizabeth Kelly, the county GOP chairwoman, took the unusual step of endorsing Crutchfield.
As a result of redistricting, Morgan will be representing House District 52 in the 2005. The new district encompasses 21? precincts in Moore County. The other precinct, Little River, and half of Carthage Precinct are in House District 54, represented by Joe Hackney, an Orange County Democrat.
NC Ping?
You just caught me! I'm getting ready to log off.
NC ping comin' right up.
Morgan is a RINO sellout and I hope this is wishful thinking on his part.
I get the same feelings when reading about Morgan that I do wrt Clinton, Rodham, Edwards ....
Morgan is a self-serving Sleaze-Ball.
Sleazley and his box of Sleaze-balls. LOL.
Let's just move and leave it to them.
Now that the Dems have the majority, with Morgan's help, what makes him think they will share power with him?
Sick, deluded fool.
A lot of Morgan's Republican helpers were tossed out by voters in the primaries, too bad he squeaked by.
Tempting.
HELL NO!
My family has lived in this state since the Revolution.
I ain't leaving; I'm prepared to stay and fight!
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