Four Democrats are vying for their party’s nomination to the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Republican Richard Burr: Durham businessman Kevin Griffin; retired Army Capt. Ernest Reeves of Greenville; Spring Lake Mayor Chris Rey; and former state Rep. Deborah Ross of Raleigh.
“I believe the people of North Carolina deserve better representation in Washington,” Ross said when asked why she decided to run. “We have a serious imbalance in our congressional delegation.” Currently, both of North Carolina’s U.S. senators are Republican and the GOP holds a 10-3 edge in the U.S. House delegation.
Ross said that after former Democratic U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan chose not to run last summer, a number of people encouraged her to run. “So here I am,” she said.
Rey cites as pluses for his candidacy his experience as a three-term mayor, working on issues with the General Assembly, and his tenure with the Department of Defense.
“I really believe that the energy from my campaign as a U.S. Senate candidate will energize the Democratic ticket more than other candidates and allow us to have victory in November,” Rey said.
Griffin said he’s running out of political frustration.
“What we’ve been doing all these years has not worked; we send career politicians and they continue to argue,” Griffin said, adding that now seems to be the perfect time for someone like him to run.
“The people seem to be open to an outside viewpoint,” Griffin said.
Reeves said he is running to represent North Carolinians in communities statewide.
“People don’t think America is working for them,” Reeves said. “As I go across the state, I hear people say, I don’t see our representative there. They’re not doing anything for us.”
Ross became general counsel for GoTriangle — the regional transit agency — after leaving the legislature. Before becoming a member of the House, she was executive director and legal director of the ACLU of North Carolina. She also has taught law at Duke University. She received her bachelor’s degree from Brown University and her law degree from UNC-Chapel Hill.
Reeves is a graduate of St. Augustine’s College and has sought political office before. He ran for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate two years ago, and ran for Greenville mayor last year.
Rey attended East Carolina University and graduated from Walden University. He also graduated from the William and Mary School of Law.
Griffin is president and CEO of AVANT Group, a staffing company. He holds two bachelor’s degrees from UNC-Greensboro.
Griffin says his business experience distinguishes him from his Democratic primary opponents, and that he doesn’t have the political baggage of some of his opponents.
“I spent the last 14 years running my own company, employing people,” Griffin said. As a political newcomer, Griffin added, “That also makes me the stronger candidate in a general election running against presumably Richard Burr.”
Griffin said he believes the most important issue in the campaign is integrating the large military and veteran presence in North Carolina with employment opportunities and public services. He said he wanted to “marry” job placement programs with job skills that veterans living in North Carolina possess.
Griffin also wants to expand mental health services to veterans. One way to do this, he said, is take some beds from VA hospitals in put them in smaller, local hospitals. “That way they can expand the reach of the VA,” Griffin said. “That would help local hospitals so they can stay open in their communities.”
Reeves said the main issue in the campaign is jobs for American people. He proposes a minimum wage increase to $10.25 in 2017 and to $15 by 2020 as a way of helping the working class.
“All the research I’ve done, it all boils down to the minimum wage increase,” Reeves said. “Three dollars an hour would have such an impact.” Reeves added that such an increase would come to $120 a week for someone working 40 hours a week.
Reeves said his background distinguishes him from his primary opponents. “I’ve never met a stranger,” Reeves said. “My background as a private in the military, as a sergeant, as a military officer, having to go to school at night to get my first degree, and then being handpicked for serving all over the world, everything just fell in place.”
Rey said he stands out from his primary opponents because he can win in November.
“If the Democrats want to win they have to elect a Democrat in March that has the best chance of beating Richard Burr in November,” Rey said. “My candidacy also energizes the ticket.”
Rey said the top issue in the campaign is the economy and getting people jobs. “What we have to figure out now is how to build an economy for people who live in rural North Carolina, and build an economy that works for urban North Carolina,” Rey said.
Ross said “economic security and opportunity for every generation” is her top issue in the 2016 campaign.
“For our kids, they need to be able to get a 21st century education and start school ready to learn,” Ross said, adding that the federal Head Start program was important in that endeavor. Federal Title I money for schools, Pell Grants for college students, and reducing student loan debt are also important for the younger generation, she said.
“For working people, we need to raise the minimum wage,” Ross said. She also said women deserve equal pay for equal work. “Then we need to stabilize Medicare and Social Security,” Ross said, adding that is especially true for women who stayed at home while their husbands worked and may not have a pension plan of their own.
Ross said her experience separates her from her opponents. “I’m the only one with significant legislative experience and a proven record of getting things done in that environment,” she said. Ross said she has been effective working with divided legislatures, and when both Democrats and Republicans had majorities in the General Assembly.
While polls show Ross leading among her Democratic rivals, they also show a large number of voters remain undecided.
In November, the winner of the March 15 Democratic primary will face the winner of the Republican primary — between Burr, Larry Holmquist, Paul Wright, and Greg Brannon — and Libertarian Party nominee Sean Haugh.