High stakes lead to high spending on legislative races in Mecklenburg, elsewhere in NC
Days before the election, Mecklenburg County’s Democratic lawmakers have wide financial advantages over their opponents amid what appears to be a record spending year in North Carolina legislative races.
At least two N.C. Senate races have seen spending by both candidates approach $3 million.
Both major parties combined have spent at least $28 million. Outside groups have spent millions more.
“As the Democrats learned, you lose redistricting and you can end up in the minority for a whole decade,” said Ferrel Guillory,” director of the Program on Public Life at UNC Chapel Hill.
Republicans were swept to power after the 2010 elections and have controlled redistricting as well as state spending and policy since.
Democrats need six seats to flip control of the N.C. House and five in the Senate, or four if Democrat Yvonne Holley becomes lieutenant governor.
In Mecklenburg, Democratic Sen. Jeff Jackson has raised over $974,000 in his race against Republican Sonja Nichols, according to reports filed this week with the State Board of Elections. A first-time candidate, she has raised over $268,000. Their District 37 has changed dramatically since Jackson won it easily three times.
https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/election/article246729181.html#storylink=cpy
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