4The Daily Tar HeelMonday, May 18, 1992
Political war-horses, baby-boomers lead pack in state primaries
By Anna Griffin
Associate Editor
RALEIGH The 1992 N.C. prima
ries were a striking example of the hard
nosed, winner-takes-all campaigns that
traditionally have characterized poli
tics in the Tar Heel state.
Although some younger players
such as lieutenant governor candidates
Art Pope and Dennis Wicker and labor
commissioner candidate Nelson Dollar
stood up to grab their share of the pie,
the primaries were dominated by four
grizzled veterans.
In the state's most carefully watched
race, former two-term Gov. Jim Hunt
began his political comeback by rout
ing state Attorney General Lacy
Thornburg, 65 percent to 27 percent, in
the race for the Democratic gubernato
rial nomination. Hunt also scored large
margins of victory over little-known
opponents Marcus Williams, Wendell
Briggs and Eddie Hatcher.
To complete the "Battle of the Jims"
scenario. Republican Lt. Gov. Jim
Gardner notched an impressive 82 per
cent of the total votes against Ruby
Hooper and Gary Dunn for the Repub-
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lican nomination, setting up a Nov. 3
showdown between two candidates who
have run for the state's highest office a
total of five times.
While younger, baby-boom genera
tion candidates were capturing victo
ries in other congressional and Council
of State races, the governor's race rep
resents a throwback to the "good ol'
days" of N.C. politics, said UNC politi
cal science professor Thad Beyle.
"(Hunt and Gardner) are consistent
politicians," Beyle said. "They've lost
big races but they obviously didn't take
politics out of their minds.
"They're like the Energizer rabbit
they just keep going."
State GOP chairman Jack Hawke
said the race could turn dirty quickly.
Gardner has said he will be focusing
on the "Martin record" to prove his
qualifications to voters. Hunt has said
that instead of attacking Gardner, he
will play up the economic growth he
contends North Carolina experienced
under his two administrations.
"This campaign ought not be about
dragging down our opponents," Hunt
said in his victory speech at the North
Raleigh Hilton. "(Thiscampaign) should
be about building up North Carolina."
But crucial issues such as education
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and the economy could be abandoned
quickly in favor of more controversial
subjects, Hawke said.
"When you look at the issues, the
two candidates are similar," he said.
"That can only lead to nasty politics."
In the battle for U.S. Senate an
other race that could turn ugly early
former Democrat D.M. "Lauch"
Faircloth won the Republican nomina
tion and the right to face U.S. Sen. Terry
Sanford by defeating former Charlotte
Mayor Sue My rick in the GOP primary.
Although the two men were once
close friends as governor, Sanford
named Faircloth state highway com
missioner their relationship turned
bitter in 1986 when Sanford decided at
the last minute to run for senator, a post
Faircloth was planning to seek.
But at his May 5 victory party in the
North Raleigh Hilton, Faircloth said he
had no plans to make this a negative
campaign.
"This will be an issue-oriented cam
paign," Faircloth said. "The issue is:
Senator Sanford is a liberal and believes
in big spending. I am a conservative and
believe we must bring fiscal spending
under control."
Faircloth's victory was surprisingly
easy, particularly in Mecklenburg
County, Myrick's home district, where
the businessman won by a 2-1 margin.
In all, Faircloth captured 48 percent of
the vote to Myrick's 30 percent.
The most surprising election-day
outcome was state Rep. Harry Payne's,
D-New Hanover, victory over incum
bent Labor Commissioner John Brooks
for that post's Democratic nomination.
Brooks, a four-term incumbent, had
drawn harsh criticism for his handling
of the Sept. 3, 1991, Hamlet fire that
resulted in the deaths of 25 people.
Brooks also created controversy recently
by attempting to block a federal take
over of the state Occupational Safety
and Health Administration, a bureau of
the N.C. Labor Department.
Payne, a soft-spoken legislator from
New Hanover County, said the six-term
state representative said Brooks should
not be blamed for the fire.
"(The campaign) focused attention
on an agency which we capitalized
upon," Payne said. 'There should be no
attribution of that tragedy to that agency
or to Mr. Brooks."
Payne's GOP opponent will be 33-year-old
Nelson Dollar
In the year's most hotly contested
races, the party primaries for lieutenant
governor, state Reps. Dennis Wicker,
D-Lee, and Art Pope, R-Wake, squeaked
past their respective opponents, Reps.
Jim Crawford, D-Granville, and Doris
Huffman, R-Catawba.
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