The Elections of March: Can an Insurgent African-American Man Take Out a 9-Term White Woman in NCH102?

The Carney-Peebles Primary in NC House District 102

Becky Carney

Dist. 102 in north Charlotte is considered "Likely Democratic." No lie. Expected Democratic performance in a general election -- 79% of the vote (Bitzer).

Democrat Becky Carney has represented the district since 2002. She's a classic. Liberal Democrat, 75 years old, born in 1944, which makes her late-stage Silent Generation (same as me). I've seen Carney's employment listed as "homemaker." She's proud to be the mother of six and the grandmother of 14. And guess what? She represents a majority black district. She's a political power with an impeccable image and reputation.

She's also a survivor in the rawest, realest sense of that word. She suffered something called "sudden cardiac death" in 2009, the abrupt loss of heart function, breathing, and consciousness (according to the Mayo Clinic), and had successful open heart surgery in 2015. "Doctors implanted a left ventricular assist device. The LVAD is a mechanical pump that delivers blood from the left ventricle to the aorta and on to the rest of the body." (Charlotte Observer) Then she had a lumpectomy in June of 2018 and went on to win reelection to her seat that fall with 83% of the vote.

She's always mainly won reelection without any primary opposition (and with only spotty Republican opposition). She did have a primary opponent (weak ) in 2018 who got less than 19% against her. She seems invincible, especially considering that she was once also Outstanding Public Servant of the Year for the Charlotte NAACP, and a 2005 inductee into the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Clubs Inc., Charlotte Club Women’s History Hall of Fame, and she served as a legislator on the founding board of the Minority Golf Museum and Hall of Fame (which maybe didn't pan out). And hey you hipsters, she's for the legalization of marijuana.

2020 Is Gonna Be Different
She has a formidable primary challenger this year in African-American Democrat Jonathan Peebles (and still more primary challengers in the margins who don't seem very significant, unless one of them splits the black vote -- see below). Peebles is a 32-year-old Millennial, and does he ever look ready for a campaign! With all the bells and social media whistles in place, including a useful introductory video for getting to know the guy (I'm including the 2 minute-plus version below, which contains more biography; there's a shorter 40-second version too):




Peebles has only been in Charlotte since 2012, but he's broken out as a community leader and organizer. He works in the world of non-profits, for the Latin American Coalition as its development and operations director. Bio from the Charlotte Post:

"A native of Springfield, Virginia, a suburb of Washington D.C., Peebles graduated Old Dominion University in Norfolk and ... he decided to pursue a master’s degree in public administration at UNC Charlotte, where he gained experience working in areas of nonprofit services, equity, and economic development."

He's also a member of the Black Political Caucus, president of the Young Democrats of Mecklenburg, and a member of something called the Eastside Education Think Tank Committee. Maybe more important than any of the rest for overtaking Becky Carney is Peebles' visible activism in the Mecklenburg Democratic Party. He's a part of the State Executive Committee, active in his precinct, a leader of other Millennials -- all of which could seriously erode Carney's party base for the first time.

Peebles campaign sites: https://www.jonathanpeebles.com; https://twitter.com/JonPeeblesNC; https://www.facebook.com/jonathan.i.peebles; and https://www.instagram.com/jonathanipeebles/

Kyle Kirby

Other Democrats in the Carney-Peebles Primary

Leroy Dean, a 51-year-old African-American who's completely invisible to the searching eyes of Google.

And Anthony E. Forman, a 66-year-old African-American who at least has a Facebook presence. He has no history with the Democratic Party and only started voting after the election of Trump. That's a prevalent sign of the times among some -- many? -- of the sudden candidates for office.


The Eventual Republican Sacrificial Lamb

On the ballot in November for NCH102 will be Republican Kyle Kirby, a 34-year-old Millennial who's running on the slogan "Love Your Neighbor." No kidding. That's a local Republican slogan in the Age of Trump. Kirby's also gay-friendly, says he's for LGBTQ+ rights, and he's also for legalizing recreational marijuana (while also taxing it, for revenue, and who says Republicans can't see clearly on a Wednesday?).

Hardly a Republican in the mold of Trump -- let alone the Berger-Moore type currently serving in the General Assembly.

Jesus H. Christ!

RALEIGH, N.C. — In a stunning display of disregard for parliamentary rules, House Republican leaders quickly resurrected a new bill Thursday afternoon to take away Charlotte's authority over its airport.

During a hastily-called House Rules Committee meeting for which no agenda was offered in advance, House Republican caucus Co-chairwoman Ruth Samuelson re-offered a new airport bill that she had angrily withdrawn from the same committee just two hours earlier.

The bill, Senate Bill 380, would repeal the measure approved by state lawmakers one week ago. That law, Senate Bill 81, gave Charlotte Douglas International Airport – and its billions of dollars in assets – to a politically appointed regional authority.

The city filed a lawsuit as soon as the bill was ratified, persuading a judge to stay the new law. City officials then promptly fired airport manager Jerry Orr.

Samuelson, R-Mecklenburg, said the city's actions came as a surprise. 

"Our goal all along had been to do what was best for the airport and, if possible, avoid a lawsuit," she said. "We did not anticipate that the city would fire (Orr)."

Under the new proposal, which sets up a commission to run the airport, the city would still own the airport, but the commission would run it, making all financial decisions and managing hiring and firing. The city would have the majority of appointees on the new board, but regional and state interests would also be represented. 

The new bill, by repealing the original law, would also void the city's lawsuit, Samuelson said, and Orr would be rehired as airport manager. 

"I hope one day the city of Charlotte will acknowledge that this was a good deal," Samuelson said.    

Rep. Becky Carney, D-Mecklenburg, was furious. She said the Charlotte City Council does not support the new bill and said neither city officials nor Mecklenburg County Democrats had been given an opportunity to even read the new measure before it appeared in committee Thursday morning. 

"The city indicated all along – and I said on the floor last week – that there would be a lawsuit," Carney said. "I'm surprised that this has now come to be all about one man."

Carney, whose husband worked for the airport for years, said there hasn't yet been any problem with the city's management of the facility. She warned the new bill would only result in another lawsuit by the city.

"This is typical of how we jam stuff through at the last minute with no regard for the people we're doing it to back home," she said. "There's a lot of unrest in our state, a lot of angry people." 

Carney asked for other members to be allowed to comment. Two raised their hands. But Rules Committee Chairman Tim Moore ignored them, instead calling the vote on the bill.

Democrats shouted for "division" – a vote by counting hands – but that call was also ignored. With both sides shouting their voice votes, Moore pronounced the measure approved.

"Ram it through," Carney said angrily. 

After the meeting, Charlotte Democrats held a press conference to protest.

"Republican leadership in the House and Senate hijacked our airport," said Rep. Tricia Cotham, D-Mecklenburg. 

Cotham said Samuelson told her she worked out the deal at a bagel shop.

"You do not take legislative action and take away our airport while having bagels," Cotham said. 

The bill was expected on the House floor later Thursday.

The Democratic Sell-Out on Fracking

Rep. Susi Hamilton of New Hanover County, who was bought off with tax-credit favors for the Wilmington film industry. Worse ... the way she was trying to cover her tracks with WRAL's Laura Leslie. Advice to Rep. Hamilton: if you're going to sup with the devil, better use a very long spoon.

The tipping vote on the fracking override was actually Meck Dem Becky Carney's, who says it was a complete and total mistake. Good to know that putting our state's drinking water at risk was purely a slip of the finger. That makes it all so much easier to take!

Other Democrats in the NC House who voted for fracking on the veto override were Kelly Alexander and Rodney Moore of Mecklenburg; Bill Brisson and Dewey Hill, two of the original Five Goobers, who usually vote with the Republicans; and the newly notorious Susi Hamilton.

Gawd, it would be nice to have an actual Democratic Party in North Carolina.