Free Republic

Mecklenburg County Commissioner Jim Pendergraph formally announced his campaign for the 9th District Congressional seat Wednesday. Pendergraph will seek to replace fellow Republican Sue Myrick, who announced Tuesday she will not seek a 10th term in office. Pendergraph said he'll continue in the tradition of Myrick and acknowledged there will be many other candidates to announce in the coming weeks. “I expect a number of people will jump into this race, because the seat hasn't been open in 18 years,” Pendergraph said in his announcement. Other Republicans who have expressed interest include County Commissioner Bill James, Charlotte City Council member...

The list of possibilities to replace U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick will surely change by the hour. Within minutes of Myrick's announcement that she won't be seeking another term, Roll Call was up with some obvious names: N.C. House Speaker Thom Tillis of Huntersville, state Rep. Ruth Samuelson of Charlotte and state Sen. Bob Rucho of Matthews. We'll add former state Sen. Robert Pittenger and former Charlotte mayor Richard Vinroot. And don't discount some local prospects, including Mecklenburg county commissioner Jim Pendergraph (who will announce his intention to run, the Observer's Jim Morrill reports) and former City Councilman Edwin Peacock. Here's...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Asheville, NC (December 20, 2011) — With an approval rating of 95%, Dr. Dan Eichenbaum recently became the first and only congressional candidate for North Carolina’s District 11 to be endorsed by national citizen-led vetting organization Independent Caucus. The ICaucus process required Eichenbaum to submit his candidacy to the independent vetting process that includes a background check, completion of a related questionnaire, and recorded interview. This information was then made available to IC affiliate groups consisting of five grassroots organizations in the district for review, discussion and vote. Eichenbaum said, “We have an incumbency problem in Washington...

A crowd of nearly 800 ignored the rain and made their way to the historic Sottile Theater at the College of Charleston last night to see Newt Gingrich participate in Tim Scott’s Presidential Town Hall Series. Rep. Scott has now hosted six contenders for the Republican nomination in a format that uses questions submitted by the voters and moderated by Scott. The Gingrich event was the largest by far, drawing twice as many attendees as any of the others. More than 100 were turned away by fire marshals because there was not enough space.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Gary Shoemaker, Campaign Manager Dr. Dan Eichenbaum for Congress 2012 P.O. Box 75 Murphy, NC 28906 Phone: 866-898-7977 Email: TrustInFreedom@DrDan4Congress.com Website: DrDan4Congress.com Republican Congressional hopeful Dr. Dan Eichenbaum told the Asheville-Buncombe Teenage Republicans on Saturday afternoon at the home of co-chairman Alex Montgomery that the founding father were meticulous about limiting the power, scope and size of the federal government using the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. Eichenbaum said, “Article I, Section 8 lists specific enumerated powers of the federal government, and the Tenth Amendment says if we didn’t say you could do it...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Gary Shoemaker, Campaign Manager Dr. Dan Eichenbaum for Congress 2012 P.O. Box 75 Murphy, NC 28906 Phone: 866-898-7977 Email: TrustInFreedom@DrDan4Congress.com Website: DrDan4Congress.com Eichenbaum discusses 'Liberty' with Young Americans for Liberty Cullowhee, November 10, 2011. U.S. Congressional candidate Dr. Dan Eichenbaum spoke before the Western Carolina Chapter of Young Americans for Liberty and other political science students Tuesday evening at the AK Hinds University Center in Cullowhee. Eichenbaum began with a brief overview on various forms of government and why the founding fathers chose to establish a republic in America. “Our government was carefully formed to protect...

The Department of Justice pre-cleared North Carolina’s redrawn Congressional map today, solidifying this cycle’s most detrimental gerrymander for House Democrats. Four Democrats — Reps. Larry Kissell, Mike McIntyre, Heath Shuler and Brad Miller — are in more danger of losing their seat next year under the new lines.

If a poll conducted Saturday is any indication, local Republicans think Herman Cain is the man for U.S. president. Exactly 100 registered voters participated in the Henderson County Republican Party Presidential Straw Poll during Farm City Day in Hendersonville, with 19 percent choosing Cain. Tied for second were Rick Perry and Mitt Romney with 17 percent each, followed by Sarah Palin with 11 percent and Ron Paul with 10 percent. Michele Bachmann got 6 percent of the vote, as did Chris Christie, who has not actually entered the race. Conversations with participants indicate that if Christi does enter the race,...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Gary Shoemaker, Campaign Manager Dr. Dan Eichenbaum for Congress 2012 P.O. Box 75 Murphy, NC 28906 Phone: 866-898-7977 Email: TrustInFreedom@DrDan4Congress.com Website: DrDan4Congress.com Eichenbaum applauds Rep Foxx's support of H.R. 2913 to scale down congressional retirement Asheville, NC - September 28, 2011. Dr. Dan Eichenbaum was pleased to receive a statement yesterday from Representative Virginia Foxx, NC 5, in support of H.R.2913, sponsored by Colorado Rep. Mike Coffman. The bill will amend Title 5 of the United States Code to provide for the termination of further retirement benefits for members of Congress, except the right to continue...

Contact: Gary Shoemaker, Campaign Manager Dr. Dan Eichenbaum for Congress 2012 P.O. Box 75 Murphy, NC 28906 Phone: 866-898-7977 Email: TrustInFreedom@DrDan4Congress.com Website: DrDan4Congress.com Earlier this week, North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue suggested that congressional elections be suspended for two years (full audio here). Perdue said, "I think we ought to suspend, perhaps, elections for Congress for two years and just tell them we won’t hold it against them, whatever decisions they make, to just let them help this country recover. I really hope that someone can agree with me on that." Perhaps Governor Perdue should familiarize herself with the United...

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) on Wednesday warned President Obama to stop “poking our allies in the eye” with his comments on the European debt crisis. “Keep in mind this was a president who was supposed to make the rest of the world ‘like’ us again,” Palin wrote on her Facebook page. After about two weeks of social-media silence from the former Alaska governor, who has used Facebook and Twitter as her primary contact with the many fans she acquired during her unsuccessful bid for vice president, Palin returned with a Facebook note condemning President Obama for remarks he...

For Immediate Release Contact: Kenneth J. Benway Alliance for Bonded Term Limits, Inc. P.O. Box 1750 Pinehurst, North Carolina 28370 Phone: 910.949.3856 Cell 910.322.8095 kjbenway@mac.com http://www.bondedtermlimits.org Congressional Candidate Dr. Dan Eichenbaum Bonds a Limited Term in Office Challenges Congressman Heath Shuler for North Carolina District 11 Seat in 2012 Pinehurst, N.C. – September 8th, 2011 -- The Alliance for Bonded Term Limits (ABTL) is pleased to announce that Congressional candidate Dr. Dan Eichenbaum, who is challenging three-term Congressman Heath Schuler in 2012, has executed a bonded term limit pledge. He is the first candidate in the United States to do...

For Immediate Release Contact: Kenneth J. Benway Alliance for Bonded Term Limits, Inc. P.O. Box 1750 Pinehurst, North Carolina 28370 Phone: 910.949.3856 Cell 910.322.8095 kjbenway@mac.com http://www.bondedtermlimits.org Congressional Candidate Dr. Dan Eichenbaum Bonds a Limited Term in Office Challenges Congressman Heath Shuler for North Carolina District 11 Seat in 2012 Pinehurst, N.C. – September 8th, 2011 -- The Alliance for Bonded Term Limits (ABTL) is pleased to announce that Congressional candidate Dr. Dan Eichenbaum, who is challenging three-term Congressman Heath Schuler in 2012, has executed a bonded term limit pledge. He is the first candidate in the United States to do...

Raleigh, N.C. – Having made his bid for the Republican presidential nomination official Saturday, Rick Perry instantly becomes a big threat to Mitt Romney’s dominance in the Western primaries and in the South, where he is already potentially weak. Perry ties Romney in Colorado, where Romney had enjoyed a lead, albeit small, when PPP last polled the state in February. Romney gets 22% to Perry’s 21%, with Michele Bachmann at 15%, Newt Gingrich at 9%, Ron Paul at 7%, Tim Pawlenty at 6%, Herman Cain at 5%, and Jon Huntsman at 2%. With Sarah Palin in the field, Romney and...

With President Barack Obama flying into North Carolina today, it's a good time to look at whether he could carry the state again. A recent poll says he'll be in a competitive position in two years. The survey, by the Democratic-leaning Public Policy Polling, finds Obama leading or close to all potential Republican opponents in the state. Obama would defeat former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin by 48 percent to 43 percent, would edge former House Speaker Newt Gingrich 46 percent to 45 percent and would tied former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney at 44 percent. He would lose to former Arkansas...

According to the Raleigh News Observer backgrounder, Renee Ellmers is a registered nurse who ran a practice and a wound clinic with her husband, a general surgeon. Ellmers had previously been involved in local civic groups, but only became politically active during the summer of 2009 as a result of the debate over Obamacare. Ellmers and her husband traveled around North Carolina with Americans for Prosperity and spoke to groups about the ill effects they believed Democratic proposals for health care reform would have. Ellmers then decided to run for the Republican nomination to represent North Carolina's Second Congressional District,...

The Democratic Congressional Committee has reserved ad buys in Rep. Heath Shuler's (D-N.C.) district for the first time, another sign that the DCCC is having to spend money on incumbents who were previously believed to be safe. The ad reservations, confirmed by multiple sources tracking ad buys, show that the DCCC is continuing to reevaluate where to spend its resources in the final weeks of the campaign. In addition to Shuler, the DCCC has also increased its ad reservations for House Budget Committee Chair John Spratt (D-S.C.) and Rep. Mike McIntyre's (D-N.C.), both of whom who hold solidly Republican seats...

The next financial disclosure period ends in just 2 days, on June 30. This will be one of the last disclosures before the General Election, and a strong fundraising number will send the message that we are ready. Please make a contribution today to the "$1,000 Before June 30th Online Fundraiser." Your support is greatly appreciated!

A retired television sportscaster has won the Republican primary over a former U.S. Army paratrooper in North Carolina's 8th Congressional District. Harold Johnson will take on first-term Democratic Rep. Larry Kissell in November. Johnson defeated Tim D'Annunzio in Tuesday's runoff in district covering several south-central counties. With most precincts reporting, Johnson received 63 percent of the vote compared to 37 percent for D'Annunzio. D'Annunzio received the most votes in the May 4 primary but failed to reach the more than 40 percent needed to avoid a runoff. State GOP leaders later distanced themselves from D'Annunzio because of revelations about his...

State Returns from SC (polls close at 7pm EST): http://www.enr-scvotes.org/SC/16213/28352/en/summary.html From NC (polls close at 730 EST) http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NC/17242/28326/en/summary.html For Utah (Polls Close 10pmEST) http://electionresults.utah.gov/xmlData/300010.html If anyone has better links, please share them. GO Haley, Scott, and Lee!

North Carolina Republican Facebook page will instantly delete anything you say against them. As usual, their tactics mirror those of the Democratic establishment. Time to do away with all establishment politicians!

Hey all....great news for Frank....I wish him the best in the primaries!!

Several current or former Republican officeholders are considering a run against the incumbent congressman, including Rick Berg, a Fargo state legislator who officially added his name on Thursday to the list of possible challengers. “Washington needs some fresh leadership,” said Berg, who has served as the Republican majority leader in the state House. “They need a fresh perspective.”

The mayor of Hendersonville, N.C., says he is ready to challenge Rep. Health Shuler in 2010. Republican Greg Newman told local news outlets of his decision on Monday. Newman has been mayor of Hendersonville since 2005. In 2008,Shuler won a second term in the House by beating Asheville City Councilman Carl Mumpower by 26 points in a race that national Republicans did not target. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., carried the district by 5 points in the presidential race, Questions about a real estate development could make Shuler more of a target in 2010. CQ Politics currently rates the general election...

The 11th District is a tantalizing target for Republicans because of its history of voting for conservatives. The district went strongly for McCain-Palin over Obama-Biden in 2008 while also re-electing Shuler by a wide margin. The Republican recruiters are meeting with Hendersonville Mayor Greg Newman, former state Sen. Charles Thomas and Henderson County District Attorney Jeff Hunt. All three have expressed an interest in running against Shuler, although Hunt says he is leaning toward running for re-election as the top prosecutor.

Former Republican state Rep. Mia Morris visited the General Assembly on Wednesday and said she is thinking of running for Congress against Democrat Larry Kissell in the 8th District in 2010 or 2012. And she's not Mia Morris anymore. Since narrowly losing to Democrat Margaret Dickson in the 2002 election, Morris has divorced and remarried. Now she's Mia White. She had a set of twins, a boy and a girl, now 4, and moved to Singapore. White said she's been a commentator and analyst of American politics for Singapore's equivalent of CNN, and she has kept up with the news...

Some interesting observation from the county votes in North Carolina.

Who knows how this election will turn out in the end? There are about 500 polls out there, but now I’ve just seen one that makes sense to me (Not one of these automated dialing wonders by a machine that can’t tell if it’s talking to a sixty-year old man or a six year old child or a mental patient but a real honest to goodness poll with 873 pages of statistics.) So here’s my opinion, for what it’s worth. Just naturally, candidates like to believe their virtues – their speeches and stands and ads – are what get them...

Please Join the McCain Victory Team for Super SaturdaySeptember 20th, 20089 AM - 9 PM Come join McCain-Palin '08 volunteers from across the state on September 20th for a day of phone banking and neighborhood canvassing.With fewer than 50 days before the November electionthere is no time left to waste. John McCain and Sarah Palin have recently jumped in the polls, but we cannot sit back now. The Obama campaign is fighting hard to win this election, and we need your help to ensure that the McCain-Palin team reaches the White House. Please commit to a shift today in...

After months of me (and a lot of other NCers) doing a lot of nailbiting over polls showing Obama and McCain running within just a few points of each other in this long time red state - no doubt helped by Obama’s numerous visits here, we finally have a reason to be cautiously optimistic: RALEIGH (WTVD) — In an election for President of the United States in North Carolina Tuesday, September 09, Republican John McCain suddenly and breathtakingly surges to a 20-point win over Democrat Barack Obama, 58% to 38%, according to this latest exclusive SurveyUSA election poll conducted for...

Another Republican candidate for governor is working again on getting some support down east. Charlotte Mayor and GOP gubernatorial hopeful Pat McCrory announced this week he was hiring former Carteret County party chairman Bob Pruett to lead his grassroots efforts in 39 eastern counties. Eastern North Carolina voters remain predominantly Democratic, but more have voted Republican in federal races in recent years. But the GOP has had a hard time translating that to governor. In 2004, Republican nominee Patrick Ballantine of Wilmington didn't fare that well as incumbent Democrat Mike Easley – from Southport – racked up big wins there....

Rep. Patrick McHenry says the candidates who want his seat in Congress don't want to talk about his voting record. Unfortunately for the North Carolina Republican, there's plenty of other material for them to work with. The contest has gotten so ugly that McHenry's GOP opponent has accused McHenry of putting American lives at risk after he returned from Baghdad - perhaps a new height in primary election squabbling. "It's getting a little testy out there," said Michael Bitzer, a political science professor at Catawba College in Salisbury, N.C. "Campaigns are modern-day warfare, so you are going to pull out...

Dear JJ, I want to personally thank you for all you've done to support our campaign. Your continuing commitment over the past months to the values we share means so much to me. With the Pennsylvania primary approaching on April 22 and important states following soon after, I need your involvement now more than ever. The stakes couldn't be higher, as you well know. If we want to end the war in Iraq, restore America's reputation in the world, rebuild the middle class, reform our government, and provide affordable health care for all, we need to work together. The Republicans...

10th District Republican congressional challenger Lance Sigmon has released a TV commercial that details how in 2004 Rep. Patrick McHenry “purposely misled voters about his resume,” according to Sigmon. In the ad, Sigmon questions “why McHenry claimed to run a business that didn’t exist,” when he first ran for Congress in the 2004 Republican primary. The TV spot also states that McHenry improperly profited from a 2006 real estate deal in which “a campaign donor sold McHenry a house undervalued by at least $25,500. The highly respected political journal Roll Call, in an October 2007 article citing official North Carolina...

Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.), an opponent of the war in Iraq, is in a statistical tie with primary challenger Joe McLaughlin, according to a poll released Tuesday by McLaughlin’s campaign. The poll, conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, shows Jones leading McLaughlin 43-41, with 5 percent supporting another candidate and 11 percent undecided. Forty-eight percent of voters said it was time for someone new in the congressional seat, while 46 percent said Jones deserves reelection. The poll surveyed 500 likely voters using an automated method licensed by Rasmussen Reports.

Mark Steyn’s review of the candidate’s Christmas campaign messages is a must-read today because it’s likely to be the funniest thing you’ll see all day. Here’s a taste: John Edwards’s message is the usual Dickensian affair about the two Americas. I forget the details, but the upshot is that one America is a land of spindly emaciated Tiny Tims with barely three farthings to rub together for their next cup of gruel, while the other’s a marshmallow world where Dick Cheney, high on wassail, shoots a brace of turducken out of season, and then chows down as the Radio City...

North Carolina Right to Life PAC joins South Carolina Citizens for Life (SCCL), its sister affiliate in South Carolina, in endorsing former Senator Fred Thompson for President of the United States of America. “By endorsing Fred Thompson for President, North Carolina Right to Life PAC wants all North Carolinians to know Senator Thompson’s long-standing pro-life record, his unwavering commitment to protecting unborn children from abortion, and our belief in his ability to win,” stated Barbara Holt, PAC President. “As President, Fred Thompson will be a strong advocate for life at all stages.” Fred Thompson amassed a 100% pro-life voting record...

Pat McCrory, mayor of Charlotte for nearly 13 years, said he has always wanted what's best for the Queen City. But he's being tugged by the question of whether he can be more effective leading the city as mayor or wielding his influence as governor. As he mulls his decision whether to run for governor in 2008, McCrory said he is still committed to guiding the city's growth and trying to solve its problems. But the city's issues in many ways are tied to the support and funding it gets from the state, which have been inadequate, he said.

Like noxious bugs swarming over a crumbling tenement, followers of Ron Paul have invaded the blogosphere. Their target is anyone who dares to criticize their hero. Bloggers have dealt with them in various ways. Some have tried banning them outright. Others allow readers to engage them in back-and-forth debates that can easily take a thread to several hundred responses. I used to find the Paulites annoying, but recently I had a revelation: Far from being scorned, Paul’s rabid fans should be welcomed and encouraged. We should do everything we can to make certain they keep pushing their man, sending him...

Candidates for most of the big 2008 primary races are running neck-and-neck, according to the September poll of North Carolina voters by the Civitas Institute. In the Democratic presidential primary, former Sen. John Edwards polled 22 percent, followed by Sen. Hillary Clinton at 20 percent and Sen. Barack Obama at 19 percent. Twenty percent said none of those candidates, and 20 percent said they weren't sure. In the Republican presidential primary, former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson polled 25 percent, followed by former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani at 21 percent, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney at 13 percent and...

North Carolina Rep. Walter B. Jones’ status as one of the most outspoken congressional Republican critics of President Bush’s Iraq war policies has drawn him national attention that he had not previously received in a House career now in its seventh term. But Jones’ maverick posture is not universally appreciated back home in eastern North Carolina’s 3rd District, a conservative Republican stronghold that gave President Bush 68 percent of its votes in November 2004 — more than a year and a half after the controversial war began. The Iraq issue is central to a challenge Jones has drawn for next...

Visiting Goldsboro Wednes-day, Onslow County Commis-sioner Joe McLaughlin an-nounced to a small crowd at McCall's Bar-B-Que & Seafood Restaurant that he will be challenging U.S. Rep. Walter Jones for the Republican nomination in the 3rd Congressional District. "This campaign's only about 36 hours old," McLaughlin laughed during his introduction. But he seems to already be generating some interest in the party's base. Running primarily against Jones' stance on the war in Iraq, McLaughlin said throwing his hat into the ring was a tough decision, but one he felt he had to make. "Since 1994, I have been a Walter Jones...

State Treasurer Richard Moore, who has overseen the sale of $5.5 billion in bonds since he took office in 2001, has steered much of the lucrative legal bond work to the law firms of lawyers who have helped finance his political career. Moore has raised at least $215,525 from some of North Carolina's elite law firms, including donations from some of the biggest names in state politics, according to a review of campaign finance reports filed with the State Board of Elections.

Patrick McHenry is the neighborly sort. The Cherryville congressman was recently spotted west of his congressional district to see if he could talk state Sen. Tom Apodaca into challenging a former football star, Rep. Heath Shuler, who earned national recognition last year by beating Rep. Charles Taylor of Brevard. Apodaca, a third-term state senator and rising star in Raleigh, is thinking about it. But McHenry hasn't stopped there. A member of the National Republican Congressional Committee executive board, he's taken it upon himself to find someone who can take back the congressional seat he believes Shuler won on a fluke....

Vernon Robinson: My New Conservative Herohttp://www.postchronicle.com/commentary/article_21227787.shtml By Sher Zieve Jul 12, 2006 I don't live in North Carolina but, if I did I'd campaign for Vernon Robinson. Running for the House of Representatives, Robinson is engaged in a campaign that firmly attacks the country's liberals and leftists in a most remarkable way. Robinson tells the unvarnished truth about them with great humor and some of the best sarcasm from a politician that I've ever heard. Robinson's truth has even recently been reported to have made a number of liberal "journalists" heads explode. No, THAT'S something I would have paid to...

According to a Public Policy Polling survey released today, likely voters in North Carolina's Eleventh Congressional District, are unhappy with the direction of the country, the President, and Republican Congressman Charles Taylor. If the election were held today, voters say that they would vote to elect Democratic challenger Heath Schuler, 46% to 42%. When leaners are added the margin remains at 4 percent, 49% to 45%.

Vernon Robinson's quest to become a congressman took an unusual turn yesterday as the filing deadline for local, state and congressional elections expired. Robinson dropped his plan to challenge seven-term incumbent U.S. Rep. Mel Watt, a Democrat and the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, in the 12th Congressional District and instead switched his filing to run in the 13th District, which is represented by Brad Miller, a Democrat.

You guys should check this group out. I met one of their members out in Ohio working with a congressional candidate. They knew what they were doing and I was impressed but i didn't realize that Alex had his own team until yesterday. I looked at their website its got some really solid ideas in terms of strategy. Check it out: http://www.vandenberg-strategies.com

After weeks of cajoling from high-ranking Democrats — including former President Bill Clinton — former football star Heath Shuler announced Monday that he would challenge Rep. Charles Taylor (R-N.C.) next year.

'Rats running ads questioning Taylor's involvement with two men convicted of bank fraud and his business partnership with a former KRG general.