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Senate hopefuls visit campus

Posted on April 15, 2010April 15, 2010 by Staff

(l to r) Libertarian Michael Beltier, Democrats Cal Cunningham and Ken Lewis, Republican Larry Linney and Democrat Elaine Marshall at Tuesday evening Senate candidate forum at UNC’s Stone Center

By Kirk Ross, Staff Writer
UNC — Six of the 11 candidates for U.S. Senate – four of the six Democrats, one of the four Republicans and the lone Libertarian – gathered at the university’s Stone Center for an issues forum sponsored by the center and the local chapter of the NAACP.

Questions ranged from whether the candidates support reductions in interest rates for college loans to possible replacements for Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens to the recent decision by the Obama Administration to open up the possibility of oil drilling off the coast of Virginia.

The best received comments were Democrats Cal Cunningham and Marcus Williams noting their past service as UNC student body presidents and Democratic candidate Ken Lewis’ comment that his status as a Duke grad and resident of Chapel Hill demonstrated his ability to bridge differences. The biggest laugh was perhaps unintended, coming after GOP candidate Larry Linney of Buncombe County said coal and oil are renewable resources, they just take longer to renew than other sources.

All but Linney said they were concerned about the possibility that offshore drilling would one day happen off the Carolina coast, with Libertarian Michael Beitler saying he had concern about the transparency of the process and who was really benefiting from the decision and Democrat Elaine Marshall saying that as senator she would oppose the drilling.

Not attending was incumbent Sen. Richard Burr, whose name did not come up until about an hour into the discussion.
Thus far, Burr has amassed a considerable war chest of $5.3 million to fund his campaign. He remains vulnerable, however, with only 34 percent of those responding to a recent Elon Poll saying they had a favorable view of the one-term incumbent.

Election notes
Early voting starts
Early voting in federal and county primary races and for the Orange County Board of Education opens today (Thursday) at the county elections offices at 208 South Cameron St. in Hillsborough and the Morehead Planetarium in Chapel Hill.

The hours for the two sites are:
• Thursday, April 15-Friday, April 16 – 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.;
• Monday, April 19-Friday, April 23 – 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.;
• Monday, April 26-Friday, April 30 – 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.;
• Saturday, May 1 – 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The one-stop early-voting sites are open to all registered voters in Orange County. You may also register and vote the same day at the sites.

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