The Johnston Co GOP Executive Committee will be having their monthly meeting tonight. A very special announcement has been promised. Inside sources say that a candidate will be announcing for Fred Smith's current Senate seat...and that it won't be Rep. J. H. Langdon as many had predicted.
This will be interesting. I imagine it would be a tough choice for J.H. to give up a safe House seat, although I realize the district is drawn to favor the Republican candidate, anyway. Any guesses who it might be instead?
Isn't it a given that the Republican will hold the seat? Whomever it is, it doesn't matter as long as they are with the GOP! Grace
Rumor is that its a guy who recently moved back to the area...was working in the Bush Administration and helped write the tobacco buyout program. Wondering though, if this might be the election where there is a strong anti-incumbency mood and some upsets occur? Know the new candidate wouldn't be an incumbent, but some might feel he's part of the establishment.
Oh, he was on a huge billboard - was it on Hwy 70? It had his picture, and it said "Thank you (whatever his name is)"? Good point about the anti-incumbency mood, this might be the year for a Democrat. Or not. Should be interesting, anyway.
Elizabeth Dole - October 11, 2004 - talking about a Johnston County native; "I also want to thank Senator Jesse Helms. Jesse worked so tirelessly for tobacco farmers and their families for 30 years during his tenure here in the Senate. He said then that achieving a tobacco buyout would be the hardest thing that he had ever tackled in his long career in the U.S. Senate. We are here today because he began laying the groundwork so many years ago. For his last five years, Jesse’s right hand on tobacco issues was David Rouzer. And David has been my Senior Advisor as we have worked through this buyout. At a young age, David began working on his family’s tobacco farm in Johnston County, North Carolina. He understands the stress that tobacco farmers have been under and he has labored tirelessly to get us to this day."
The announcement was that David Rouzer would be running for the GOP nomination for the State Senate seat currently held by Fred Smith.
My guess would be it was decided for him by some of the County Party "insiders". They probably feel like Rouzer can raise lots of money from his Weshington sources.
