SEANC’s PAC Wins 76% of Endorsed Races

May 07, 2014



 Congratulations to the 76 percent of EMPAC-endorsed bipartisan candidates who won their primaries and are moving on to the November ballot.

 For the state Senate: Stan White (District 1, D-Dare), Erica Smith-Ingram (District 3, D-Northampton), Don Davis (District 5, D-Greene), Stan Bingham (District 33, R-Davidson) and Bob Rucho (District 39, R-Mecklenburg).

 For the state House: Ray Jeffers (District 2, D-Person), George Cleveland (District 14, R-Onslow), Phillip Shepard (District 15, R-Onslow), Jean Farmer-Butterfield (District 24, D-Wilson), Leo Daughtry (District 26, R-Johnston), Michael Wray (District 27, D-Northampton), Cecil Brockman (District 60, D-Guilford) and Rena Turner (District 84, R-Iredell).

Still unresolved, though, is the House District 23 race where Shelly Willingham of Edgecombe County is in a July run-off for the Democratic nomination.

 For members unfamiliar with the Employees Political Action Committee known as EMPAC, it is the member-led political subsidiary of the association.

 In keeping with the association’s unofficial motto, “We have no permanent friends and no permanent enemies, only permanent issues,” SEANC is no shrinking violet when it comes to political races. We play in races that are tough and fight for policy issues, not the incumbent or the political party’s favorite son or daughter. Sometimes we win, as in the case of Erica Smith-Ingram of Senate District 3 who knocked off long-time, incumbent Sen. Clark Jenkins, and sometimes we lose as in the case of state Sen. Ralph Hise or Wake County District Attorney candidate Boz Zellinger. While we disagree on policy, we congratulate all of the winners and look forward to working to promote public services and YOU, the people who provide them, with a well-deserved pay raise and retiree COLA in the near future.