Winston-Salem Journal. March 3, 2024.
Editorial: Primary’s drama isn’t in the top of the ballot
The Trump Train rumbled again into Greensboro Saturday with all the pomp and bombast and occasional weirdness we’ve come to expect.
You read it here first: Donald Trump will win Tuesday’s Republican primary in North Carolina. That’s a foregone conclusion. The only question is how much Trump wins by over his lone remaining challenger, former U.N. Ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who held a rally of her own in Charlotte Friday night — and how much damage Haley can do to Trump by refusing to drop out of the race, even after losing her home state to him.
There’s little drama at the top of the Democratic ballot either: Joe Biden versus “No Preference.”
A Biden-Trump matchup for president on Nov. 5 is all but inevitable.
But the bigger story in North Carolina’s primary is in the races that appear lower on the ballot.
So, while you might be tempted to treat the Trumps, Haleys and Bidens of the world as the main event and everybody else as the junior varsity, please don’t.
The higher stakes are on the rest of the ballot in North Carolina and, frankly, they would be just as important even if there were more competitive matchups at the top.
Voters in the state this year will elect a governor, members of Congress and a state Supreme Court associate justice. They’ll also choose members of the Council of State, which includes the lieutenant governor, state treasurer, attorney general, state auditor, labor commissioner, insurance commissioner, secretary of state, superintendent of public instruction and commissioner of agriculture.
Ideally, most of these jobs would be appointed rather than elected, since they involve professional skills and qualifications, not politics (at least they should). But this is what it is. Choose wisely.
Voters will cast ballots as well for state representatives and senators, judges, county commissioners, and, in the case of Winston-Salem, a mayor, City Council members and register of deeds. In Guilford County a school board seat is at stake.
Early voting ended Saturday. If you plan to vote Tuesday, three things to bear in mind:
You must bring a photo ID to vote in this election and all others going forward in North Carolina.
Critics rightly have cited the voter ID requirement as both unnecessary and disproportionately affecting minority and low-income voters, but now it’s the law. Republican lawmakers overrode Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto last year to make that so.
Look beyond cliches and simplistic slogans when you evaluate each candidate. For aspiring judges, what is the depth and breadth of their experience? And what is their campaign style? If their rhetoric sounds too political and ideological, that’s a warning sign.
Some questions to consider when evaluating candidates, no matter their party affiliation:
Do you believe the outcome of the 2020 election was legitimate?
For legislative candidates especially, do you support an alternative to gerrymandered legislative districts?
Do you support adequate funding for public schools and competitive pay for teachers?
Do you support greater transparency in government and, if so, what specific improvements do you suggest?
What in your background shows your willingness to work across the aisle to get things done?
For school board candidates and aspiring lawmakers, where do you stand on the new state law granting taxpayer-funded vouchers for private school tuition, regardless of income?
What do you see as tangible solutions to the gun violence problem in our state and our communities (and if their solution is more guns in more people’s hands with fewer questions asked, if any, please, please vote for somebody else).
The conventional wisdom is that turnout will be modest for this primary.
Only 20% of registered voters showed for the 2022 primary, 31% in 2020. That suggests you’re not as engaged as you ought to be. Please show us we’re wrong.
Finally, it wouldn’t hurt for you to be especially respectful and courteous to the election workers at your voting site. Their jobs can be tedious, thankless and occasionally downright scary.
Despite Trump’s continuing insistence that he was robbed of reelection in 2020, he makes those allegations without one scintilla of credible evidence.
Even so, Trump’s reckless fabulism has bred hostility, distrust and intimidation at some polling places in recent years.
So, take a moment to express your gratitude for their service.
These fellow citizens deserve much better than they’ve gotten lately and would probably appreciate a vote of confidence.
END