House 60
(Blogger’s Note: You will find several audio files from each candidate at the end of this post, along with some biographical information on each. We will have further coverage of this race, including a Q+A on more issues not represented here and an additional profile of the race, in the paper. Previously: House 59 and House 57.)
The voters ended Earl Jones’ 18-year city council career in 2001, electing a relatively unknown minister to replace the well-known but sometimes controversial figure.
“It was the best thing that ever happened to me,” Jones said with a laugh recently. Jones seemingly can afford to laugh now.
The Democratic incumbent is campaigning for his third term in House District 60, a seat he won a year after his council loss. His district leans Democratic in terms of voter registration and by conventional measures he would seem poised to coast to victory.
And when asked if that old loss haunts him, Jones said no. He chalked it up to low voter turn out and to a “media smear campaign” he said was lead by “none other than the News & Record.”
Media influence aside, this does promise to be a low-turnout election year, with no statewide partisan race headlining the ballot. And Jones’ opponent this year, Republican Bill Wright, is raising many of the same complaints that Jones’ opponent did in 2001.
“We don’t feel like he’s cared enough about southern Guilford County or Pleasant Garden to come to any events here,” Wright said. “And then the folks in High Point have told me essentially the same thing. They’ve never seen him there.”
The charge that he’s not present in his district is one that Jones denies.
“That’s a misrepresentation trying to diver from the real issue of the campaign,” Jones said. “Quite frankly it’s false.”
In response, Jones said he helped negotiate the agreement that allowed for the creation of Pleasant Garden when he was on the Greensboro City Council. And he said he has been responsive to constituents for all four of his years as a legislator.
The responsiveness issue is one of a handful that Wright is using to drawn lines between himself and the incumbent. For example, Wright says that Jones’ deep ties to embattled House Speaker Jim Black are part of a pattern of campaign cash influencing policy decisions. Jones said the charge is another “diversion,” meant to distract from what he considers the campaigns’ real issues.
Jones and Wright have differences on policy issues as well. Jones said he could back a limited rise in the number of charter schools in the state but opposes school vouchers; Wright said the cap should be removed and the state should fund vouchers. Wright favors aggressively pursuing illegal immigrations, including checking legal status when someone is treated at a hospital; Jones said the state’s immigration enforcement effort should be concentrated on employers.
And both men have issues that they say are particularly close to their hearts. Jones continues to pursue state funding of stem cell research; Wright said he is particularly concerned about eminent domain issues that allow governments to take private property.
Audio Links
- Wright charges that Jones had not been a presence in the parts of the district that fall outside Greensboro Click here to listen to Wright make that case, as well as the case that Earl should not be supporting payday lenders. And click here to listen to Earl answer back.
- I asked both candidates about their stances on charter schools and vouchers. Jones said he could see raising the cap on charter schools but opposes state-funded vouchers. Click here to listen to his rational. And click here to listen to Bill Wright say why he like charters and vouchers.
- House Speaker Jim Black and various House Democrats support for him has been raised in a lot of campaigns. Jones is perhaps Black’s most outspoken ally in the Greensboro area. Wright thinks that Jones’ stance is part of a larger issue of money influencing policy. Click here to listen to Wright talk about the Jones and the Speaker. Jones calls that “diversionary.” Click here to listen to Jones response.
- Remainders: More from Bill Wright on imminent domain, sexual predators, economic development.
- Remainders: More from Earl Jones on economic development and on stem cells.
About the candidates
Earl Jones
Party: Democrat
Age: 57
Address: Loney Circle, Greensboro
Family: Married.
Education: Central High School, Graham; B.A., North Carolina Central; law degree, Texas Southern University.
Professional: Publisher of the Greensboro Times;
Elective experience: General Assembly member since 2002; 18 years as City Council member.
Civic leadership: Political action chair, Greensboro NAACP chapter; George Simkins Memorial Political Action Committee Board; founder and member, 100 Black Men Triad Chapter.
Website: none.
Bill Wright
Party: Republican
Age: 54
Address: Walter Wright Road, Pleasant Garden
Family: married, one son.
Education: High School, Southeast Guilford H.S.; Bachelors in Agronomy, N.C. State;
Professional: Stream and wetland mitigation manager, Shamrock Environmental Corp.
Elective experience: Was mayor of Pleasant Garden for five years.
Civic leadership: N.C. League of Municipalities, Public Safety, Transportation Committees.
Website:
www.votebillwright.com/