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Jim Pendergraph - former long-time Mecklenburg County sherriff when he was a Democrat (most forgive him for that because you basically have to be a Dem here to get elected sherriff), stepped down to work under Bush in ICE but then quit in disgust when he found out that Bush had no intention to enforce immigration laws. Returned to Charlotte a Republican, is now the only Republican serving Meck Commission At-Large. He seems to be very conservative, he ran for Commission on a platform of drastic spending cuts. Pendergraph is probably the shoo-in to win the primary, between his good reputation and name ID.

Bill James would be an absolute hoot, but I think people would be afraid he'd be the white Vernon Robinson, and could somehow lose the seat. “Everybody knows” that James is a racist, kind of like “everybody knew” that Charles Murray was a racist, 20 years ago...

I doubt that House majority leader Thom Tillis would run for this, even if Pendergraph weren't running, as Tillis wants to run against Hagan in 2014 according to the rumor mill.

Ruth Samuelson and Robert Pittenger would be okay, but Pendergraph will probably be better.

State Sen. Bob Rucho has said he won't run because he's been running the committee in charge of redistricting and it would therefore be a conflict of interest. (A likely slap at Brad Miller.) Anyway, I've reviewed Rucho’s voting record in the past and I don't recall being too impressed - he's one of the least conservative GOP state Senators according to Civitas.

Charlotte city councilman Andy Dulin is apparently thinking it over.

The thought of RINO extraordinaire Edwin Peacock III even running for this makes me want to hurl.

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And while I have your attention, you may want to check out the 3rd district, where RINO Walter Jones is being challenged by New Bern police chief Frank Palombo. Replacing Jones with a real conservative is a must-do.

In other districts: As of right now I'm favoring businessman Mark Meadows over Jeff Hunt in the 11th, and Ilario Pantano over David Rouzer in the 7th. In the 8th and 13th there are some okay choices but no stand-outs.

I hope to make my way out to the mountains this weekend to see the 11th district candidates debate.

I have no idea what's going on in SC-7. Anybody but Andre Bauer, I guess.

I'm favoring businessman Mark Meadows over Jeff Hunt in the 11th

I'm favoring Spence Campbell for now. Doubt Hunt should be anyone's first choice; interested to hear about Meadows - saw that Jeff Miller endorsed him.

and Ilario Pantano over David Rouzer in the 7th

Ilario, bless his heart.... I just don't know. I kind of feel like he had his shot and did....okay. So I'm not sold on a second run and open to Rouzer.

Palombo filed in NC-03 months ago, and is still the only challenger to Code Pink Jones. Can a police chief from New Bern defeat an entrenched incumbent whose father previously held an overlapping district for decades? With the troops coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan, I’m not sure if Jones’s treasonous calls for pulling out in defeat will have as much impact on primary voters as they would have in 2006 or 2008 (or even 2010).

In the NC-08, I like Vernon Robinson, warts and all. Even with his polarizing stances, he’d still beat Kissell in the redrawn CD, and it sure would be fun to have Vernon giving special-order speeches on the House floor (and voting 100% conservative, of course).

In NC-07, the one CD (outside the safely RAT ones) where the Dem has a chance of winning, I agree with you on Pantano; I think running a Johnston County Republican like Rouzer would allow McIntyre to paint his opponent as a Raleighite to voters in the southern counties, and in any event I think that Pantano earned a rematch after his unexpectedly strong showing against McIntyre in 2010.

Speaking of earning a chance to run again, I would support Bill Randalll in the NC-13 if only because he was willing to take on Brad Miller (and make him sweat) when everyone else was afraid to run. Paul Coble and George Holding might be great on the issues (I don’t know either way), but they weren’t willing to run when the CD leaned slightly Democrat, so I’d prefer Randall (whom I know is conservative). It also wouldn’t hurt to have a greater number of black conservatives in Congress. The NC-13 will elect a Republican irrespective of who we nominate.

The same holds true in the NC-11 now that Shuler dropped out. If Meadows is more conservative than Hunt, I’d go for him.

No idea what to think about the huge field in SC-07; thank God SC has run-offs. Anyone But Andre Bauer would be my mantra too, at least for now (maybe I’ll eventually have a preference among the non-Bauers.