Vinroot makes it official: He's running for governor (NC)

Charlotte Observer ^ | 2003-05-29

[gonewt]

Vinroot makes it official: He's running for governor

It's 3rd time for former Charlotte mayor

JIM MORRILL

Staff Writer

Former Republican gubernatorial nominee Richard Vinroot made it official Wednesday. He's running again.

His announcement came the same day Raleigh attorney Jim Cain took himself out of consideration for the GOP race.

Vinroot, a former Charlotte mayor, is his party's fourth gubernatorial candidate. Davie County commissioner Dan Barrett and Southern Pines businessman George Little already have announced. State Senate Minority Leader Patrick Ballantine, who holds a fund-raiser tonight at Myers Park Country Club, plans to announce his candidacy in Charlotte Saturday at the state Republican convention.

Vinroot starts the race with considerable name recognition. An Elon University poll last month showed him recognized by 60 percent of North Carolinians. Ballantine was next with 26 percent recognition.

"I really think I start with a huge advantage," Vinroot said.

In 2000 Vinroot won the nomination but lost the general election to Democrat Mike Easley, who is expected to run for a second term. Vinroot lost the 1996 nomination to Robin Hayes, who went on to lose to Democratic incumbent Jim Hunt.

This time Vinroot says he's optimistic.

"George Bush is going to do very well (in North Carolina)," he said. "And I think that bodes well for the Republican nominee."

Cain, former president of the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes, had been considering the race. But Wednesday, in a letter to state party chairman Bill Cobey, he took himself out of contention.

"It has become clear to me that, as a father who has been away from home a great deal over the last decade ... an eighteen month statewide political campaign would not, at this time, be the right step for our family," he wrote. "I look forward to the occasion in a few years ... when the time will be right."

[TaxRelief]

If they are both conservative, they will split primary votes and Vinroot will win.

[azhenfud]

Why do I have this image of "Oh no. Not this s**t again." coming to mind?

[azhenfud]

"It is unbelievable he would run again."

You could say, "Vinroot's campaign has hit the ground limping".

[Constitution Day]

All I can think is that he must be supremely arrogant, OR that he actually is deluded enough to think he can win this time.

[JohnnyZ]

If they are both conservative, they will split primary votes and Vinroot will win.

I think it's likely that even many moderates are tired of Vinroot at this point. If he does appear fairly strong I would expect that conservatives and anti-Vinrootites would rally around whoever appears stronger, Ballantine or Barrett (probably Ballantine).

[jern]

I actually think that Ballentine has a good chance. People in NC have always been claiming that they wanted a "new breed" of candidates instead of the Vinroot/Hayes bunch. Now you got them. Bush/Ballentine/Burr "The Killer B's" I think would do a good job at the head of the ticket. We just need to keep finding good candiates down the line of the council of state....

[JohnnyZ]

We just need to keep finding good candiates down the line of the council of state....

Yeah, doesn't seem to be too much activity down the line.

Lt Gov Bill Boyd. ??? Possibly ex state rep Gregg Thompson of Mitchell, previously endorsed by NC Right To Life

Sec State, Treasurer, AG, Insurance No candidate so far to take on Elaine Marshall. No one to face state treasurer Richard Moore, AG Roy Cooper, or insurance commissioner Jim Long

Auditor vs. Ralph Campbell. Two candidates listed on politics1.com: ex Wake Cty Commish Les Merritt and Arielle Morris, a young city councilman in Greenville

SPI 2000 nominee Michael Barrick lost a close race against an incumbent and now gets an open seat race. Bill Fletcher is also seeking the nomination.

Labor Our only incumbent, Cherie Berry

Agriculture Steve Troxler. Lost in 2000 by 51-49, hopefully he'll be facing Meg Scott Phipps again :)

I definitely agree that we're going to need to run from the top of the ticket, which will definitely be our strength with GWB and Richard Burr.

[jern]

I wished Bill Cobey would have run for Gov. I think he would have done a great job.

[Windom Earle]

Arielle Morris isn't running for anything. She's moving to DC.

The only danger in all of this is that we repeat 2000 when Neely drained enough votes from Daughtrey to give the nomination to Vinroot. I don't see that happening because Barrett is not strong enough.

Walter Jones did everything for the last several years to be in position for a statewide run...and his name did come up for Governor, but he has told me he will remain in Congress. Too bad. He could win.

But so can Ballantine.

[defeat_the_dem_igods]

I wished Bill Cobey would have run for Gov. I think he would have done a great job.

Bill is right where he needs to be, counting the paper clips.

Ballantine is our best bet for Gov, I will get behind him, work towards de-throning the Jim Hunt machine.

For those of you that think he is too young, just go and hear him rattle off his anti-democrat diatribe.

Not too shabby

[fieldmarshaldj]

Oh, brother... He's baaa-ack. North Carolina's Myrth York.

[Pubbie]

Good God no! :(

Somebody tell me there will be a primary challenge...

[Kuksool]

Too bad Rep. Walter Jones (NC-03) isn't running for either Senate or Governor. His political base in Eastern Carolina could cut into the support that both Sen. Blinky and Gov. Weasley enjoy. However, having Bush and Burr on top of the ticket might provide some mighty coat-tails for Pubbie candidates down the ballot. Ballantine better introduce himself to all the people of NC. If he does this task, he should beat Vinroot in the primary. Vinroot, it seems, is more interested in being Mayor of Charlotte than NC Governor.

[fieldmarshaldj]

"Vinroot, it seems, is more interested in being Mayor of Charlotte than NC Governor."

That might be news to Pat McCrory. :-)

[fieldmarshaldj]

Obviously Ballantine will be the strongest challenger, but Vinroot could damage him going into the general (assuming Pat prevails), sucking away badly-needed $$.

[Kuksool]

I was making reference to the 2000 election in which Vinroot hardly ventured in Eastern NC or Raleigh. He spent most of his time campaigning in the Charlotte Metro area.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Ah. Sounds a bit like Matt Salmon in AZ who forgot that there's a little hamlet called "Tucson." Tucson could've provided the margin of victory had he campaigned there...

[AuH2ORepublican]

"If they are both conservative, they will split primary votes and Vinroot will win."

---

If I'm not mistaken, in North Carolina one needs at least 40% of the vote in the primary in order to avoid a run-off (at least that's how it was in 1992, when then-Democrat Walter Jones, Jr. got 38% to win a plurality, but then lost the run-off to Eve Clayton), so even if two conservatives run we can keep Vinroot from getting the nomination if he gets less than 40% in the first round.

[JohnnyZ]

Just came from a whizbang NC GOP convention! About the governor's race, Ballantine totally stole the show with a video presentation including a ball of fire. I met NOT ONE PERSON who supported Vinroot for governor. No one wants him to run. All he has right now is name recognition, and a lot of it's probably negative. George Little made a strong case for himself with a big booming voice and should be able to mount a strong campaign, with a good fundraising base and a real plan of action. I was surprised as heck 'cause I figured he was an old fuddy-duddy. Many of the other folks were already familiar with him and expected an impressive performance. Dan Barrett's public performance was underwhelming, he had a bit of a glassy-eyed look, but he's got a great personal touch. (He confirms he's pro-life and pro 2nd Amendment, by the way.) I spoke with him a bit and he greeted me by name every time he saw me (4 or 5 times) for the rest of the convention. Speechifying skills need work, but of course he has only been in politics for about 3 years. That's one of the things I like about him.

[jern]

And he didn't even win Charlotte or Meck. county.