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Backers stray from Vinroot

Ballantine campaign raises money from GOP supporters

MARK JOHNSON
Raleigh Bureau

RALEIGH - N.C. Sen. Robert Pittenger gave money to fellow Charlotte Republican Richard Vinroot's unsuccessful campaigns for governor in 1996 and 2000. During Pittenger's winning state senate campaign last year, he asked for -- and received -- Vinroot's endorsement.

In the 2004 race for governor, though, Pittenger is bypassing Vinroot and putting his money and the heft of his new elected office behind Patrick Ballantine, Republican leader in the Senate. Ballantine, who hails from across the state in Wilmington, makes his official campaign announcement this morning at the Republican state convention in Charlotte.

"It is an opportunity in an important presidential election year to have a candidate (for governor) who can appeal across the state," Pittenger said.

As former Charlotte Mayor Vinroot makes his third run for governor, he confronts some Republicans' discernable interest for a fresh face.

Vinroot must convince those who supported him in two gubernatorial bids and a short-lived U.S. Senate campaign to open their wallets a third or fourth time.

"I have a tremendously long list of former Vinroot supporters," said Ballantine, who held a fund-raiser Thursday night at Myers Park Country Club. "I believe that speaks volumes."

Many of the 55 Republicans listed on Ballantine's "host committee" at the Charlotte fund-raiser, however, have a mixed record of supporting Vinroot.

N.C. Rep. Ed McMahan, for example, backed Rep. Leo Daughtry of Smithfield in the 2000 Republican primary for governor, but aided Vinroot after he won the nomination. Rep. Jim Gulley of Matthews endorsed now-U.S. Rep. Robin Hayes in the 1996 campaign.

"The conventional wisdom is, can someone from Mecklenburg County win this seat?" said Wes Robinson, a Charlotte anesthesiologist who is on the legislative committee for the state medical society and played co-host for Ballantine's fundraiser. "One of the trains of thoughts I've been hearing that's out there is: Here's a guy who has run twice and hasn't won, and he's not from the eastern part of the state."

The Charlotte area has a record of unsuccessful statewide candidates, including Erskine Bowles' race for U.S. Senate last fall.

Vinroot acknowledged the tasks before him.

"I hoped everybody who supported me last time would support me this time, but that's unrealistic," Vinroot said. "I have to convince people I can win."

Some earlier supporters who have signed on with Ballantine may not have known Vinroot was running, since he announced just Wednesday, he said. "Secondly they may think (Ballantine) is a more attractive candidate," Vinroot said. "He's a new candidate."

Both men should get some measure of their support this weekend, as they mill about with hundreds of Republican leaders and activists at Charlotte's convention center.