NRCC MEMO: NORTH CAROLINA RUNOFF RESULTS
TO: INTERESTED PARTIES
FROM: NRCC POLITICAL AND NRCC COMMUNICATIONS
DATE: JUNE 22, 2010
SUBJECT: NORTH CAROLINA RUNOFF RESULTS
Voters of North Carolina’s Eighth Congressional District turned out tonight to send a message to Washington: It’s time to put an end to the Obama-Pelosi agenda of reckless tax-and-spend policies. With a skyrocketing deficit and an out-of-touch liberal agenda, the political environment has Democrats on the defensive and Republicans well-positioned to pick up seats such as this one in November. The results of this runoff in North Carolina prove that Republicans are energized and poised to run an aggressive campaign in this competitive district currently held by vulnerable Democrat Larry Kissell.
Incumbents:
NC-08 (Rep. Larry Kissell, D)
In a runoff election tonight, GOP voters overwhelmingly chose Harold Johnson to face freshman Rep. Larry Kissell in November. A recent poll by a Democrat-leaning firm showed Johnson within striking distance of Kissell, with the challenger just six points behind and the incumbent dangerously nine points under the critical 50 percent threshold. Why? Kissell supported the failed trillion-dollar stimulus bill with only a higher unemployment rate and a larger deficit to show for it. His claims of independence notwithstanding, Kissell supports the job-killing Nancy Pelosi agenda 96.1 percent of the time – including last week, when he flip-flopped on ObamaCare and voted to keep the job-killing “individual mandate” in place.
A political outsider, Harold Johnson, the Republican nominee, is well positioned to mount a serious challenge to Kissell. Johnson, a former Marine and award-winning WSOC-TV sportscaster, broadcasted nightly sports news on TV and radio for more than three decades in the Charlotte region. Nicknamed “The Big Guy,” Johnson was a 4-time EMMY winner as the Mid-South’s Sportscaster of the Year. In Washington, Johnson promises to fight for job creation and against wasteful government spending on behalf of the struggling middle-class families of North Carolina. Johnson has received recognition as a “Contender” candidate enrolled in the NRCC’s Young Guns Program.
History. Democrat Congressman Larry Kissell is a freshman Democrat representing a district that Bush carried in 2004 with 54 percent of the vote and Obama narrowly won in 2008 with 52 percent. The district was previously represented by Republican Robin Hayes, who held the seat for five terms. After losing to Hayes in 2006, Kissell defeated him in the Obama-driven wave year of 2008. The district is rated by Cook Political Report as R+2.
Geography. North Carolina’s Eighth Congressional District includes a large portion of southern North Carolina stretching from eastern Charlotte to Fayetteville and covering much rural territory in between.
Election Results:
The following are the unofficial results from Tuesday’s runoff election in North Carolina. These results are UNOFFICIAL AND INCOMPLETE until certified by the North Carolina Secretary of State:
DISTRICT NAME RAW VOTE %__
NC-08 (GOP primary)
80.2% reporting
Johnson 8,111 61.7% (Declared winner)
D’Annunzio 5,031 38.3%