This year, by far, has shaped up to be one of the most contested campaign seasons in decades. With Hillary Clinton battling Donald Trump and Attorney General Roy Cooper duking it out with Gov. Pat McCrory, there has not been a day that has gone by without some sort of front page splash.
Get out the vote!
Be sure to vote early, vote absentee or go to the polls on election day on Nov. 8. Help elect progressive candidates to serve you and to work for full equality. Polls open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. in North Carolina. In South Carolina, polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.
Newspapers across the nation have been throwing their endorsements to Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton. The National Gay Media Association has also followed suit. In what is probably one of the most noteworthy in North Carolina is that The Charlotte Observer, for the first time in 25 years, has not come out to endorse Pat McCrory for re-election and has shifted to his opponent Attorney General Roy Cooper. McCrory’s election campaigns had been strongly supported by the Observer over the years. McCrory has made news as of late as he continues to stand alongside Donald Trump in his bid for president, even in the aftermath of the release of a disparaging video tape that swept the press, social media and the world. Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) has also taken a similar posture.
Nationally, The Victory Fund has upgraded the North Carolina campaign of Jane Campbell for the House of Representatives (D-98) to one as an essential race to take back control of the Republican-dominated chamber.
Across the Carolinas, a number of organizations have been releasing their endorsements and qnotes has the latest that was available at press time. Check out the website for more as they are made known.
MeckPAC
In Charlotte, N.C., the Mecklenburg LGBT Political Action Committee (MeckPAC) has announced that it is endorsing Mecklenburg County Commission At-Large Democratic candidates Pat Cotham, Trevor Fuller and Ella Scarborough. For Commission district races, it has thrown its support to Democrats Vilma Leake (D-2), George Dunlap (D-3) and Marc Friedland (D-5). It has issued warnings for Jim Puckett (D-1) and Bill James (D-6). In races for the N.C. House of Representatives nods go to Chaz Beasley (D) (D-92), Jane Campbell (UN) (D-98), John Autry (D) (D-100), Peter Norris (D) (-104), Connie Green-Johnson (D) (D-105) and Carla Cunningham (D) (D-106). Other House candidates that they earmarked as receptive are Mary Belk (D) (D-88), Rochelle Rivas (D) (D-103) and Kelly Alexander (D) (D-107). N.C. Senate endorsements are Jeff Jackson (D) (D-37), Lloyd Scher (D) (D-39) and Joyce Waddell (D) (D-40). They issues a warning for Dan Bishop (R) (D-39).
Replacements, Ltd. PAC
In the Triad area (Guilford, Alamance, Randolph and Rockingham Counties), the Replacements, Ltd. Political Action Committee has outlined its support for the following: Hillary Clinton (D), president; Deborah Ross (D), U.S. Senate; Roy Cooper (D), governor; Linda Coleman (D), lieutenant governor; Josh Stein (D), attorney general; Beth Wood (D), auditor; Walter Smith (D), commissioner of agriculture; Wayne Goodwin (D), commissioner of insurance; Charles Meeker (D), commissioner of labor; Elaine Marshall (D), secretary of state; June Atkinson (D), superintendent of public instruction; Dan Blue III (D), treasurer; Michael Morgan (D), N.C. Supreme Court (Stephens seat); Linda Stephens (D), N.C. Court of Appeals (Geer seat); Abe Jones (D), N.C. Court of Appeals (Hunter seat); Vince Rozier (D), N.C. Court of Appeals (Dietz seat); and Ricky McKoy-Mitchell (D), N.C. Court of Appeals (Zachary seat).
Local endorsements are:
Guilford County — U.S. House: Pete Glidewell (D) (D-6) and Bruce Davis (D) (D-13); N.C. Senate: Michael Garrett (D) (D-27), Gladys Robinson (D) (D-28), Pricey Harrison (D) (D-57), Amos Quick (D) (D-58), Scott Jones (D) (D-59) and Cecil Brockman (D) (D-60); County Commissioner: Kirk Perkins (D) (D-4), Rick Forrester (D) (D-6) and Ray Trapp (D) (D-8); Board of Education: Alan Duncan (D) at-large, T. Dianne Bellamy-Small (D) (D-1), Jeff Bolton (D) (D-2), Angelo Kidd (D) (D-3), Linda Welborn (R) (D-4), Darlene Garrett (D) (D-5), Khem Denise Irby (D) (D-6), Byron Gladden (D) (D-7) and Denna Hayes (D) (D-8); Jeff Thigpen (D), register of deeds; N.C. District Court District 18: Betty Brown (R) (Brown seat), Susan Burch (D) (Burch seat), Avery Michelle Crump (D) (Crump seat), Michelle Fletchergary (D) (Fletcher seat), John Stone (D) (Foster seat), Angie Fox (D) (Fox seat), Tabatha Holliday (R) (Holliday seat), Tonia Cutchin (D) (Jones seat), Bill Davis (D) (Krieder seat), Marc Tyrey (D) (Samet seat), Lora Cubbage (D) (Sherrill seat) and Teresa Vincent (D) (Vincent seat).
Alamance County — U.S. House: Pete Glidewell (D) (D-6); N.C. Senate: John Thorpe (D) (D-24); Board of Commissioners: Amy Scott Galey (R); and Patsy Simpson (D).
Randolph County — U.S. House: Pete Glidewell (D) (D-6); N.C. Senate: John Thorpe (D) (D-24); and N.C. House: William Neal McCaskill (D).
Rockingham County — U.S. House: Pete Glidewell (D) (D-6); and N.C. House: Eugene Russell (D) (D-91).
Equality NC Action Fund
Equality NC Action Fund has endorsed the following:
Statewide — Roy Cooper, governor; Linda Coleman, lieutenant governor; Josh Stein, attorney general; Elaine Marshall, secretary of state; Wayne Goodwin, insurance commissioner; Charles Meeker, labor commissioner; Dan Blue III, treasurer; June Atkinson, N.C. superintendent of public instruction; and Beth Wood, state auditor.
N.C. House of Representatives — Joe Parish (H-2), Bobbie Richardson (H-7), Brian Farkas (H-9), Duane Hall (H-11), Dan Whitten (H-15), Charles Warren (H-17), Susi Hamilton (H-18), Larry Hall (H-29), Paul Luebke (H-30), Rosa Gill (H-33), Grier Martin (H-34), Terence Everitt (H-35), Jennifer Ferrell (H-36), Randy Barrow (H-37), Yvonnne Lewis Holley (H-38), Darren Johnson (H-39), Joe John (H-40), Gale Adcock (H-41), William “Billy” Richardson (H-44), Cynthia Ball (H-49), Graig Meyer (H-50), Jon Blum (H-53), Robert T. Reives, II (H-54), Kim Hargett (H-55), Verla Insko (H-56), Pricey Harrison (H-57), Cecil Brockman (H-60), Marilynn Baker (H-74), Tim Barnsback (H-86), Mary Belk (H-88), Chaz Beasley (H-92), Sue Counts (H-93), Jane Campbell (H-98), John Autry (H-100), Beverly Earle (H-101), Becky Carney (H-102), Rochelle Rivas (H-103), Peter Noris (H-104), Connie Green-Johnson (H-105), Kelly Alexander (H-107), Susan Maxon (H-109), Maureen Mahan Copelof (H-113), Susan Fisher (H-114), John Ager (H-115) and Brian Turner (H-116).
N.C. Senate — NC Senate 2: Dorothea White (S-2), Erica Smith-Ingram (S-3), Angela Bryant (S-4), Andrew Barnhill (S-9), Jane Smith (S-13), Dan Blue, Jr. (S-14), Laurel Deegan-Fricke (S-15), Jay Chaudhuri (S-16), Susan Evans (S-17), Toni Morris (S-19), Floyd Mckissick (S-20), Mike Woodard (S-22), Valerie Foushee (S-23), John Thorpe (S-24), Michael Garrett (S-27), Rev. Paul Lowe (S-32), Robert Brown (S-36), Jeff Jackson (S-37), Lloyd Scher (S-39), Joyce Waddell (S-40), Art Sherwood (S-45), Norman Bossert (S-48) and Terry Van Duyn (H-49).
Judicial — N.C. Supreme Court: Michael Morgan; N.C. Court of Appeals: Vince Rozier, Jr. (Dietz seat), Abe Jones (Hunter seat), Linda Stephens (Stephens seat) and Judge Rickye McKoy-Mitchell (Zachary seat).
Other — Wendy May, Johnston County Commission and Greg Ford, Wake County Commission.
SC Equality
SC Equality has endorsed a record number of candidates. They were early supporters of Hillary Clinton’s bid for the presidency and have formally endorsed her.
U.S. House of Representatives — Dimitri Cherny (D) (D-1), Arik Bjorn (D) (D-2), Chris Fedalei (D) (D-4), Fran Person (D) (D-5) and incumbant Rep. Jim Clyburn (D) (D-6).
U.S. Senate — Thomas Dixon (D).
S.C. House of Representatives — Barbara Jo Wrobleski-Mullis (D) (H-8), Mary Geren (D) (H-9), Anna Brown (D) (H-10), Anne Parks (D) (H-12), Michael Gaskin (D) (H-13), Michael “K.J.” Kerney, Jr. (D) (H-15), Leola Robinson-Simpson (D) (H-25), Jim Thompson (D) (H-26), Harold Mitchell (D) (H-31), Luke Quillen (D) (H-34), Michael Pratt (D) (H-37), Carlton Kinard (D) (H-40), Tyler Mitchell (D) (H-45), Victor Li (D) (H-53), Patricia Henegan (D) (H-54), John Ward (D) (H-58), Tyler Gregg (D) (H-75), Ivory Thigpen (D) (H-79), Justin Bamberg (D) (H-90), Katie Arrington (R) (H-94), Alice Wakefield (D) (H-110), Bob Aubin (D) (H-114), Robert Brown (D) (H-116), Leon Stavrinakis (D) (H-119), James Broderick (R) (H-121) and Bobby Green (D) (H-124).
S.C. Senate — Floyd Nicholson (D) (S-10), Greg Gregory (R) (S-16), Mike Fanning (D) (S-17), Mia McLeod (D) (S-22), John Scott (D) (S-19), Chandra Dillard (D) (S-23), Vincent Sheheen (D) (S-27), Greg Hembree (R) (S-28), Ronnie Sabb (D) (S-32), Luke Rankin (R) (S-33), Thomas McElveen (D) (S-35), Kevin Johnson (D) (S-36), John Matthews (D) (S-39), Brad Hutto (D) (S-40), Marlon Kimpson (D) (S-42), Mandy Norrell (D) and Paul Campbell (R) (S-44), Margie Bright Matthews (D) (S-45), Tom Davis (R) (S-46), John King (D) (S-49), David Weeks (D) (S-51), Laurie Funderburk (D) (S-52), Terry Alexander (D) (S-59), Roger Kirby (D) (S-61), Robert Williams (D) (S-62), Gilda Cobb-Hunter (D) (S-66), Joe Neal (D) (S-70), James Smith (D) (S-72), Chris Hart (D) (S-73), Todd Rutherford (D) (S-74), Beth Bernstein (D) (S-78), Bil Clyburn (D) (S-82), Cezar McKnight (D) (S-101), Joseph Jefferson (D) (S-102), Carl Anderson (D) (S-103), David Mack (D) (S-109) and Seth Whipper (D) (S-113).
Human Rights Campaign
The Human Rights Campaign has issued a list of its endorsees for this election season. They are: Hillary Clinton, president; Deborah Ross, U.S. Senate; Roy Cooper, governor; Linda Coleman, lieutenant governor; and Josh Stein, attorney general.
N.C. House of Representatives — Rep. John Ager (D), Cynthia Ball (D), Chaz Beasley (D), Mary Belk (D), Jane Campbell (UNA), Sue Counts (D), Terence Everitt (D), Jennifer Ferrell (D), Judge Joe John (D), Rochelle Rivas (D) and Rep. Brian Turner (D).
N.C. Senate — Sen. Jay Chaudhuri (D), Sen. Jeff Jackson (D), Sen. Joyce Waddell (D) and Susan Evans (D).
HRC may release more endorsements, but this was the list at press time.
Planned Parenthood Votes!
Planned Parenthood Votes! South Atlantic PAC has endorsed on the North Carolina state level: Roy Cooper, governor; Linda Coleman, lieutenant governor; Josh Stein, attorney general/ June Atkinson, superintendent for public instruction; Elaine Marshall, secretary of state; Dan Blue III, treasurer; and Wayne Goodwin, insurance commissioner.
House of Representatives picks are: Bobbie Richardson (D-7), Duane Hall (D-11), George Graham (D-12), Larry Bell (D-21), Shelly Willingham (D-23), Jean Farmer-Butterfield (D-24), Larry Hall (D-29), Paul Luebke (D-30), Mickey Michaeux (D-31), Rosa Gill (D-33), Grier Martin (D-34), Terence Everitt (D-35), Jen Ferrell (D-36), Randy Barrow (D-37), Yvonne Lewis Holley (D-38), Darren Johnson (D-39), Joe John (D-40), Marvin Lucas (D-42), Cynthia Ball (D-49), Graig Meyer (D-50), Robert Reives (D-54), Verla Insko (D-56), Pricey Harrison (D-57), Cecil Brockman (D-60), Evelyn Terry (D-71), Edward Hanes (D-72), Mary Belk (D-88), Chaz Beasley (D-92), Sue Counts (D93), Jane Campbell (D-98), John Autry (D-100), Beverly Earle (D-101), Beck Carney (D-102), Rochelle Rivas (D-103), Carla Cunningham (D-106), Maureen Copelof (D-113), Susan Fisher (D-114) and Rhionda Cole-Schandevel (D-118).
Senate picks are: Jay Chaudhuri (D-16), Susan Evans (D-17), Toni Morris (D-19), Floyd McKissick (D-20), Mike Woodard (D-22),Valerie Foushee (D-23), Michael Garrett (D-27), Gladys Robinson (D-28), Paul Lowe Jr. (D-32), Norm Bossert (D-48), Terry Van Duyn (D-49) and Jane Hipps (D-50).
In South Carolina races it has endorsed: House of Representatives — Michael Gaskin (D-13), K.J. Kearney (D-15), Jim Thompson (D-26), Luke Quillen (D-34), Justin Bamberg (D-90), Tyler Gregg (D-75), Bob Aubin (D-114) and Bobby Green (D-124). Senate — John Scott Jr. (D-19), Mia McLeod (D-22), Kevin Johnson (D-36) and Marlon Kimpson (D-42).