LUMBERTON — Although it may give an edge to incumbents and cause all candidates to adjust to a shorter campaign timetable, those involved in Robeson County elections appear to be OK with the state’s recent decision to hold both the presidential primary and local primary elections on March 15.

“It’s not going to affect our operations,” Phillip Stephens, chairman of the Robeson County Republican Party, said. “Those who are considering being candidates in the upcoming elections have already made up their minds to run and have campaign organizations in place.”

Last week’s separate decisions by the state Senate and House to move the presidential primary from May to March came as no big surprise. State legislators have been talking about moving the presidential primary for about two years, originally proposing a date in late February. National party officials, however, said that date was too early and it could cause both Republicans and Democrats to be penalized in the number of delegates they could send to their national conventions.

Supporters of the earlier presidential primary hope that presidential candidates will flock to North Carolina like they do to other early primary states like New Hampshire and Iowa. By May, the party nominees have just about been selected, they say, leaving the state with little influence over the candidates selected to represent their respective parties in the final drive to the White House.

“The earlier we can have a primary without losing delegates the better,” Stephens said. “It will help us get more national attention.”

Bo Biggs, a Republican businessman from Lumberton who has observed Robeson County and state politics for decades, agrees that the earlier presidential primary will benefit Robeson County and the state.

“If we are going to participate at the national level, we have to move up our primary date,” he said. “It will be nice for North Carolina if voters can get to actually see and touch the candidates in their own state.”

Biggs also said that there would be an economic impact to the counties, including Robeson, if presidential candidates campaigned in the area.

“Those involved in national politics will be stopping here and using our hotels and restaurants,” he said.

Proponents of the presidential primary and local elections on the same ballot also say it will boost voter turnout and overall save the state about $5 million it would have to spend for a second election. According to the State Board of Elections, counties spent at least $9.5 million on last November’s general elections, including the early voting period.

G.L. Pridgen, director of Roberson County’s Board of Elections, said holding all primaries on one date would prevent the need for his office to have to staff the county’s 39 polling places twice. Also, there would be no need to bear the expense of ordering separate ballots for each primary.

Opponents of the March 15 primary say the earlier date favors incumbents and will force challengers to get their campaigns — and funding — together on a shorter time line than anticipated, while incumbents will have had a head start at introducing themselves to voters.

The candidate filing period extends from Dec. 1 to Dec. 21.

John McNeill, who is running for re-election as Red Springs mayor and is a longtime Democratic Party activist, said Saturday that the March 15 primary will be more of a burden on candidates at the district and state levels than at the local level.

“The change does help incumbents who have campaign organizations in place,” he said. “There isn’t much time for others to put an organization in place and raise money. You don’t want to campaign from Thanksgiving through Christmas. Voters are busy with the holidays.”

State Sen. Jane Smith, a Democrat from Lumberton, and Rep. Garland Pierce, a Democrat from Scotland County whose district includes part of Robeson County, both voted against the change in primary date. Both argued that incumbents are favored and the new date does not leave enough time for challengers to get their campaign organizations set up and operating.

Their strongest objections to the change in the process, however, is a provision included in the legislation that allows for new fundraising committees, called “affiliate party committees,” to be controlled by the top powers at the legislature. The legislation allows for four committees, led by the House Speaker, Senate leader and their counterparts in the minority party.

According to Smith and Pierce, this new system allows the top legislative leaders to raise money to support candidates without going through the state political parties. It expands what is known as “pay-to-play” politics.

Smith said that it especially bothers her that these committees would provide for legislative leaders to receive campaign funding from political action committees even while the General Assembly is in session.

Opponents of the committees say they open the door for legislators to receive unlimited donations from special interests, lobbyists and corporations even during legislative sessions when lawmakers cannot raise money themselves. State law currently places restrictions on individual candidate campaign committees. One donor can only give up to $5,200 per candidate per election cycle.

“This bothers me,” Smith said. “There is too much money already not accounted for and I don’t think money should be able to be donated to a legislator while the the legislature is in session.”

Pierce said that even the state Republican Party and rank-and-file state legislators oppose the General Assembly’s top leadership being able to have these special committees for fund-raising. The state parties currently manage a candidate’s monetary donations and disbursements.

“These committees are almost a party themselves,” said Pierce. “These committees would be taking money away from the state party structure. The parties would be losing money.”

Pierce said the earlier presidential primary will give North Carolina more influence in the selection of presidential nominees. He said, however, that the March 15 primary date does put a burden on both incumbents and challengers to get their campaigns off and running quickly.

“A lot of the legislators running for re-election are just waiting for the session to officially end to start raising money,” Pierce said. “They have their fundraising letter already stored in their computers and ready to be sent out the day after the session adjourns. That’s going to be a busy day for the postman.”

Bo Biggs
https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/web1_Bo-Biggs11_cmyk.jpgBo Biggs

Jane Smith
https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/web1_jane-smith_cmyk4.jpgJane Smith

Garland Pierce
https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/web1_Garland-Pierce_cmyk3.jpgGarland Pierce
Political observers say no big deal

By Bob Shiles

[email protected]

Bob Shiles can be reached at 910-416-5165.