Ashley Stephenson: The man behind (North Carolina) redistricting lawsuit

NEW BERN, N.C. -- The man who changed the map of North Carolina politics could barely walk a few feet at the state Republican convention without someone congratulating him.

Ashley Stephenson, a 38-year-old Web designer from coastal Beaufort County, was the lead plaintiff in the Republican lawsuit that culminated last week in a judge redrawing the General Assembly districts.

The case was titled Stephenson v. Bartlett, the latter being Gary Bartlett, the state's elections director.

Political boundaries that appeared to help Democrats maintain their majority in the Legislature were, in one afternoon in a courtroom, transformed into lines that could aid Republican efforts to win control and helped alter who will represent North Carolinians in Raleigh.

The state filed an appeal Sunday of the new legislative districts, saying the judge who drew the new lines did not name any constitutional problems with districts drawn by legislators. The appeal asks the state Supreme Court to take the case.

Democrats say Republicans used the courts to hijack elections they couldn't win at the ballot box. Stephenson and other Republicans say it was a matter of making the competition fair.

"The time for seeking advantage is not when you're drawing the lines on the field," Stephenson said. "but when you're playing the game."

A native of Mebane, in Alamance County, and son of the town's longtime mayor, Stephenson became interested in Republican politics early. As a youngster, he read the comics in the local paper but then turned to the conservative editorial page of The Wall Street Journal, which his then-banker father brought home.

In seventh grade, he defended Republican Gerald Ford in his middle school's version of the 1976 presidential debate. Jan Scott, former Gov. Bob Scott's daughter, represented Democrat Jimmy Carter.

When Democratic leaders in the General Assembly began drawing new district lines last fall, Stephenson posted comments and data on a Web page about how Beaufort County had been carved between two senators, neither of whom lived in the rural county just east of Greenville.

Stephenson spoke at a Raleigh public hearing on the Democratic-drawn maps and warned he might sue. Republicans took him at his word. They needed an average Joe to lead the lawsuit.

Joel Raupe, a friend of Stephenson's and top aide to Senate Republican leader Patrick Ballantine, encouraged his boss to call Stephenson and sign him up. Stephenson threw himself into the process, studying voting tables, population numbers and election results.

He dispatched daily e-mails to state Republican Party Chairman Bill Cobey. When Stephenson's mother, Julie, died last month, he attended the funeral May 21 and a court hearing on the lawsuit the next day.

"He was active in the strategy of the lawsuit, not just a name on it," Cobey said.

The brainstorming sessions were intimidating at first, when Stephenson sat down with party leaders and lawyers.

"My dad always told me, if you sit down to play poker, and you don't know who the sucker is, it's probably you," Stephenson joked, adding that he quickly realized he was among allies.

Stephenson said he won't run for office, partly because he doesn't want a stressful job that could worsen his congestive heart problems. Second, he said he thinks he could find somebody a little better for office and get behind him or her.

This past weekend, some Republican convention delegates asked what he's going to do next, not-so-subtly suggesting a run for office.

Stephenson answered them with a name tag that instead showed the new map for Senate districts and the phrase: "I'm going to Disneyland."

© Copyright 2002. All rights reserved. All material on heraldsun.com is copyrighted by The Durham Herald Company and may not be reproduced or redistributed in any medium except as provided in the site's Terms of Use.

North Carolina ping!

Please Freepmail me if:

1) You want to be added to my North Carolina ping-list.
2) You no longer want to be included in this North Carolina ping-list.

FRegards,
Constitution Day

Old North State bump-list:
Articles relating to North Carolina, NC politics and NC people.
To add to this list, type *Old_North_State in the "To:" field.
To view articles on this list, click the link above.

Edwards Watch:
Articles relating to NC Senator John Edwards
(esp. regarding his Senate duties and upcoming campaign for President in 2004)
To add to this list, type *Edwards Watch in the "To:" field.
To view articles on this list, click the link above.

Free Republic Bump List Register
A listing of all Free Republic Bump Lists & their descriptions.

Ashley Stephenson is one of the few bright stars in the North Carolina GOP ranks. The avuncular political insider is directly responsible for the new House and Senate districts in the state. He shaped far more of the political strategy in this battle than the article suggests.

Both the North Carolina Governor's race and the Senate battle to replace Edwards in 2004 are already shaping up as bitter struggles to seize power within GOP ranks. Names such as Burr, Snyder, Ballantine, and Jones are freely tossed around by the rank and file (although, fortunately, Vinroot is not. His selling out to the RNC and Ms Dole leaving a sour taste in the mouths of many)-- as likely contenders.

No doubt Stephenson will take a lead role with one of these 2004 campaigns in the coming months. His ability to shape strategy for a state wide race viewed as superior to most of the "name" thinkers out there.

Ms Dole would have been much better served to have Ashley Stephenson in her loop than some of the others on parade at the state convention this past weekend. Stephenson a master of the grass roots battle.

North Carolina political junkies should stay tuned for the next campaign this savvy thinker engineers. No doubt it will be another winner.

Good morning -

I have read & enjoyed your comments on this and other threads lately.
You seem to be a very astute observer of the NC political scene and quite familiar with NC in general.

I saw your comments on another thread re: Liddy Dole & her swing through Edgecombe & other counties.
Edgecombe's unemployment rate is over 10% now, I think. I live there, but work in Wilson County.

FRegards,
CD

Interesting post

I had never heard of this guy, but am thankful he was willing to dedicate his efforts to help our poor GOP legislators, many of whom don't seem to know how to speak up or don't care about articulating our side. Hopefully, this will not only mean more Republicans will be elected, but will mean more CONSERVATIVE Republicans are elected in N.C.!

Looks like Bartlett is a busy guy. He is also behind the probe into democratic Sec. of Agriculture Phipps' campaign funds. Looks like she is not fitting in with her fellow Dems. agenda. Changing the State Fair provider may have dipped into someone's pocketbook- Ya think?

I would imagine Stephenson fully supports Ms Dole although, as mentioned, I suspect his fertile mind is now focusing on the 2004 statewide elections.

The Beaufort County GOP "establishment" is fractured at best with the County Chairman backing Ms Dole and a conservative County Commissioner equally backing Mr Snyder. Thus Beaufort County will be the rare venue where the GOP Senate primary race is decided on ideas instead of money. Should Mr Snyder indeed pull out victory there in the primary, it will signal significant weakness for Ms Dole "down east" in November.

Those looking for an early barometer of Ms Dole's ultimate chances will find the Beaufort County primary returns of great interest.

Concerning your First District question: Yes, this Committee is in the process of being de-engineered. This procedure is often utilized when a structure is in a state of near collapse. Several County Chairmen spent the convention examining ways to bring about new leadership there.

Meanwhile Mr Bowles prepares his next round of attack ads versus Ms Dole. Holding the smoking gun on the Red Cross scandal, his operatives seek to prep these "curious queries" with leaks to liberal media types in Orange County and Charlotte.

All in all, a very interesting cycle of events approaching.

Jomini, interesting comments. I have heard that there has been a search for new leadership in the 1st, and that there has been dissatisfaction with the presumed frontrunner for district chair, but have never heard of de-engineering. In the past, leadership has simply been overthrown at the district convention. It sounds like you are suggesting something else is in the works. Are you? Elizabeth Dole will carry Beaufort, in the primary and in the general. Name recognition, organization and money will carry the day, as they always do. Jim Snyder will run a respectable second, with the help of the Commissioner you refer to, who has his own baggage, as you well know. I am sure Ashley is thinking about 04, but with the possibilities that have opened up in 02, I doubt that all his energies are that far down the road. And there are possibilities, even without any help from State Headquarters. I suspect you and I know each other. We might even have talked in New Bern last weekend. Your insight is appreciated.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.