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RALEIGH, N.C. — Republican National Committee officials say they aren't surprised to hear a Durham County elections official suspects voter registration forms gathered by a community activist group may be fraudulent. The RNC's chief counsel, Sean Cairncross, on Friday said the group, Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, has a history of gathering fraudulent or incomplete voter registration forms. Cairncross disputes ACORN's claim that it is a nonpartisan organization. The Herald-Sun of Durham reported Friday that Durham County elections director Mike Ashe asked state elections officials to check about 80 registration forms for possible fraud. The registrations were among...

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean is calling Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain out on the controversial North Carolina GOP ad which link two Democratic candidates in the state to Democrat Sen. Barack Obama's by now infamous Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Dean is framing it as a test of McCain's leadership...

Did you know that John McCain lambasted the North Carolina GOP’s anti-Obama/Jeremiah Wright ad without having seen it?Yes, this noxious little tidbit was tucked into an AP story three days ago when the controversy broke and has been little remarked upon since. When I mentioned this fact at the Pennsylvania Leadership Conference dinner last night, much of the audience gasped. Obviously, the word hasn’t gotten out there enough: The ad opens with a photo of Obama and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright together and a clip of Wright, whose incendiary comments about race have bedeviled Obama.“He’s just too extreme for...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican U.S. presidential candidate John McCain accused North Carolina's Republican Party of being "out of touch with reality" over its refusal to pull an advertisement criticizing Democrat Barack Obama. In an NBC interview aired on Friday, the Arizona senator said he has done all he can to persuade the state party to cancel the television ad that criticizes Obama as "too extreme" because of controversial remarks made by his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. "They're not listening to me because they're out of touch with reality and the Republican Party. We are the party of Abraham...

... And so I decided to pick up the phone, dial Brad's private cell number and try to make peace so that he and I, the media and the voters, could all move on to more important things. My telephone encounter with him didn't go so well. I placed the call on Sept. 28 at approximately 12:50 p.m. Brad was outside the House chambers readying for a roll-call vote. I began cordially. JL: "Congressman, this is Jim Longworth… I want you to know that I have nothing against you personally, and there's no sense in this feud escalating." My intent...

Sen. John McCain of Arizona is the early 2008 presidential leader in North Carolina, according to a Civitas Institute poll. The institute conducted a telephone poll of 800 voters in the state.McCain was the leader among possible Republican candidates with 31 percent of those surveyed. Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards led the list of possible Democratic contenders with 24 percent of those surveyed.Civitas President Jack Hawke said, “Edwards’ figures may also be inflated by the fact that the poll was conducted among North Carolinians, as opposed to voters from across the nation. It is interesting that an Arizona senator...

Last Friday I had the privilege of speaking to the Republican Women's Club of Chapel Hill. The topic: What Republicans Must Do To Win in 2006. While I won't share any major trade secrets in this forum, I will share a few of my thoughts on what [the NC GOP] must [do] to be successful this year. First and foremost, [Republicans] must Get Out The Vote. This is such an obvious, "Politics 101" statement that it almost goes without saying. [The] GOTV (get-out-the-vote) effort is especially important in 2006 given that, for the first time since 1994, North Carolina will...

Greg Dority will run for the NC 3rd District If he runs for re-election, Congressman Walter Jones will face Conservative GOP Primary opposition. Long whispered grumblings among conservative GOP activists, frustrated by their perception of an ineffective state Party and its “elite” state and national leaders, whom they also believe to be indifferent to their concerns for the nation and their ideology, is certain to bloom into a full-fledged populist revolt drawing state, national and perhaps international attention. In an exclusive interview late Friday, former NC 1st District GOP congressional nominee Greg Dority told me he will run for Congress...

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The last of a South Carolina trio charged with vandalizing the state GOP headquarters the weekend after last year's presidential election was sentenced Friday. Melissa Lynn Brown, 19, pleaded guilty Friday, and Vanessa Marie Zuloaga, 25, entered a guilty plea earlier this week. David Reuben Hensley, 20, pleaded last week. Each pleaded to one count of felony inciting to riot, received two years' probation and was fined $2,649 in restitution. All three had faced a charge of malicious use of an explosive to damage property, a felony, and had trials scheduled next week. On that night in...

When it comes to District 1 school board candidates, the Republican Party's choice is Larry Gauvreau. The Mecklenburg County GOP's executive committee voted 84-11 Tuesday night [Oct 6, 2005] for Gauvreau, the incumbent, over his challenger, Rhonda Lennon. "I'm glad I got it," said Gauvreau. "I'm not much on endorsements in general, but this one I wanted because the party does match more core values." The GOP decided to endorse candidates in the non-partisan race when it became apparent that in two districts, two Republicans were running against one Democrat. That was in districts 5 and 6. That wasn't the...

GOP chief wants McCrory foe out Challenger known for sexually explicit readings at meetings RICHARD RUBIN Staff Writer Hours after he filed to run for mayor last Friday, Republican Martin Davis got a call from county party chairman John Aneralla, who asked him to end his primary challenge to 10-year incumbent Pat McCrory. During the conversation, Aneralla told Davis that someone could reimburse his $200 filing fee, both men said this week. "I was very offended," said Davis, who doesn't plan to quit. "I wasn't even a politician one whole day before I got my first bribe." Aneralla brushed off...

GOP re-elects chair, ending fears of clash Delegates' overwhelming vote for Ferrell Blount repels challenge from conservative MARK JOHNSON Raleigh Bureau ASHEVILLE - N.C. Republicans weren't so divided after all. Delegates to the GOP's state convention overwhelmingly re-elected Pitt County farmer Ferrell Blount to a second term as chairman Saturday. The vote repelled a challenge from Vernon Robinson, a blunt-spoken conservative city councilman from Winston-Salem and self-described "black Jesse Helms." Blount was winning by a 3-to-1 margin midway through the roll-call vote when Robinson interrupted and asked to elect Blount by acclamation. The delegates obliged. Linda Daves of Mecklenburg...

The future of North Carolina Conservatives By Alan M. Teitleman It is a sad state of affairs for Conservatives in North Carolina. What used to be a conservative state is now rampant with liberals posing as Republicans. Although I have only lived in North Carolina for five years, I have seen a lot of changes in North Carolina politics during that time. I saw the chairman of a county Democratic party switch party affiliation and become elected to the Stallings town council as a Republican. I saw the Democratic party actively recruit Democrats to switch parties and run in Republican...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- U.S. District Court Judge Brent McKnight, whose legal career was capped by his nomination to the federal bench in 2003, died Saturday of esophageal cancer. He was 52 years old. McKnight was diagnosed with cancer in late June and continued to work almost until his death at Presbyterian Hospital, said his wife, Beth. He addressed the Mecklenburg County Bar Association on Nov. 18, telling the group that "justice grounded in truth is our lodestar, what we set our sights on, what gives our judicial institutions their purpose," according to a copy of his remarks. McKnight spent 20...

On November 23, 2004, former state Rep. Art Pope addressed a gathering of the Capital Area Republicans, an auxiliary group of the Wake County Republican Party in Raleigh, North Carolina. Mr. Pope talked about the recent 2004 elections, the effect of redistricting litigation, and the future of North Carolina's Republicans. He answered questions from those in attendance.

RALEIGH - ... "There's been a cavalier attitude toward issues of the state constitution as fewer and fewer attorneys serve in the General Assembly. The state constitution has become an area that is less meaningful to them...." Orr said. ... Orr-- [as] the new executive director of the N.C. Institute for Constitutional Law, a nonprofit formed at the end of 2003 to both litigate in what it calls defense of the constitution and to raise public awareness of it (snip) --already has one target: the legality of business incentives. Or, as the former justice says: "What is the public purpose,...

Good Afternoon. I would just like to remind people in North Carolina, especially in the Union County area, of the public kickoff of the Union County Young Republicans. It will be this Saturday, August 7, from 5:30-8pm at the VFW in Indian Trail. We have scheduled to have Jay Rao, Republican candidate for Secretary of State in NC, as a guest speaker. The meeting is open to the public. Our website address again is www.ucyr.com. If you have any questions, you can email us at mail@ucyr.com. Thank you for your time.

For Immediate Release – July 19, 2004 From the desk of Linda Shaw, RNC National Committeewoman: Miner Ignores RNC Requests to 'Cease and Desist;' Hijacks President’s Voice Richard Morgan also told to 'cease and desist' RALEIGH On Friday, July 16, 2004, Representative David Miner was contacted by the Republican National Committee Counsel’s Office regarding the unauthorized use of President Bush's voice in an automated phone call. Miner was told to "immediately cease and desist from any further use of the President's voice." Miner ignored the request and continues to use the President's voice in his automated calls to voters of...

RALEIGH For Republican state legislators, it's the ugliest primary season in years. In districts scattered across the state, legislators associated with Republican Co-Speaker Richard Morgan - who made an alliance with Democratic Co-Speaker Jim Black last year - are locked in angry battles before Tuesday's primary that focus on party betrayals and breaking no-tax-increase pledges: > In Moore County, the chairman of the local GOP has made the unusual move of endorsing Peggy Crutchfield, the challenger to the sitting Republican co-speaker. Morgan, in turn, has run ads that highlighted a 15-year-old conspiracy conviction against Crutchfield's husband for which he was...

RALEIGH – North Carolina now has a rollicking, revealing, and interesting Republican nomination fight for governor. Of course, the primary is on Tuesday, so the arrival of this compelling campaign might be considered a bit late. On the other hand, here we are in the middle of summer holding what is likely to be a low-turnout primary, so who’s to say anyone would have been paying attention until now? Here’s the latest:

GREENSBORO -- North Carolina GOP leaders moved Friday to strip the highest-profile Republican in state government -- House co-Speaker Richard Morgan -- of his party leadership post, saying he was "culpable of disloyalty." In a closed meeting that participants said was filled with angry speeches, the state GOP's 45-member Central Committee recommended overwhelmingly that Morgan be excluded from party leadership -- the political equivalent of a papal excommunication. The 500-member Executive Committee is expected to ratify the decision when it meets Sunday. "I think it sends a strong signal that Republicans in this state are going to stand up for...

Republican candidates for seats in the North Carolina House won approximately 53% of the total vote statewide in the 2002 elections. Democrat candidates won approximately 43% of the vote with Libertarians picking up the other 4%. Despite this big advantage at the ballot box, the way that the districts were drawn enabled Republicans to capture control of the House by only a slim 61 to 59 majority. These election results were abruptly cancelled when Rep. Mike Decker of Forsyth County switched to the Democrats shortly before the session began and a small group of Republicans, led by Rep. Richard Morgan...

Vinroot campaign gets off to a sluggish start Fund raising lags, but poll looks promising MARK JOHNSON Raleigh Bureau RALEIGH - Former Charlotte Mayor Richard Vinroot heads into his third campaign for governor with at least a couple of advantages over his competitors for the Republican nomination, but a lot less money. Vinroot raised $16,300 during the first six months of the year and had $24,000 on hand, the least amount of money among the four Republican candidates whose campaign finance reports were filed last week. N.C. Senate Republican leader Patrick Ballantine of Wilmington raised more than 30 times that...

Appearing together on television for the first time in the governor's race, Republicans Patrick Ballantine and Bill Cobey faulted Easley for not working effectively with the legislature, for not cutting the size of government and for not doing more to attract new industries and jobs.

Posted on Wed, Jul. 23, 2003 Candidate Cobey Former N.C. Republican chair recruits himself to run State Republican Chairman Bill Cobey's decision to resign his post Monday to run for the GOP nomination for governor next year was a telling moment in his party's hopes of taking over the top post in North Carolina government. It reflects what some rank-and-file Republicans have been thinking about for months: The party has a good chance of making major gains in the 2004 elections, but it needs a strong candidate to challenge Democratic Gov. Mike Easley. Mr. Cobey's decision to resign and run,...

North Carolina Republicans: Yesterday, Friday Jan. 24,2003 Representative Mike Decker of Forsyth County ( and formally several precincts in Guilford), changed his party registration to the Democratic Party in order to keep Jim Black a Democrat as the Speaker in the House of Representatives.