RALEIGH – Gov. Mike Easley has based his agenda and legacy around a North Carolina state lottery, and many Democrats are convinced that the issue offers their best chance of shrugging off blame for the state’s fiscal problems and prevailing in state and federal elections in November. So expect more from lottery proponents, even though it’s been a while since they have tried to push the issue actively in the General Assembly.
When you get outside the Raleigh Beltline, the political world is full of lottery activism. In several of the new legislative districts, challengers of both political parties are taking pro-lottery stances in an attempt to outflank a primary rival or an incumbent lawmaker. Down on the coast, for example, former Rep. Bruce Ethridge is running in a 13 District Democratic primary against current Rep. Ronnie Smith in a district that will force the nominee to run against another incumbent, Republican Jean Preston. Both Smith and Preston are currently considered lottery proponents, Smith perhaps a little more solidly than Preston. Ethridge is basing his comeback on his pro-lottery stance, which (if I remember correctly) conflicts with his previous position as a legislator.
On the other side of the state, Republican Jeff Barnhardt represents the 75th District, based in Cabarrus County. A conservative and “no” vote on a lottery bill, he’s drawn primary opposition from, among others, former county commission chairman James Lentz, who favors a lottery vote. Another Republican listed as a lottery opponent, Rep. Mia Morris in Cumberland’s 41st District, is facing a very tough reelection battle against Democrat Margaret Highsmith Dickson, who favors a lottery vote. Advocates will pressure Morris heavily in the coming days and weeks.
The lottery politics are weirder that this, I hear. One House candidate told me that an unidentified outfit in Arizona is polling in his Republican primary. His GOP opponent credibly denies all knowledge of the polling effort, which includes a candidate match-up question and a lottery question. Since the Democrat in the district would not seem to have much of a chance, being a problematic candidate in a GOP-leaning district, who is doing this, and why? It’s hard to tell, though as I told my friend, this may simply reflect the fact that the lottery industry has a lot more money than they do political sense.
Rumors are rampant that legislative leaders may be trying to work legislative deals with anti-lottery lawmakers to swing them over, such as offering Democrats the corporate tax hike they want or Republicans a juicy bit of budgetary pork. Speaker Jim Black still promises a vote by the end of the session.
Easley and his allies on this issue, political and otherwise, won’t give up easily. It drives them nuts that the proposed lottery polls well in the general population yet doesn’t seem to be a winning issue in the legislature.
Keep your eye on the Lotto ball.