U.S. Sen. Richard Burr launched his re-election bid yesterday fully aware that his conservative roots and voting record will be in the bull's eye of both Republican and Democratic challengers.
Burr, R-N.C, said he is ready to tackle that challenge.
"North Carolinians have shown a keen commitment to holding candidates to the promises they made," Burr said during a press conference at his local headquarters off Country Club Road. "I have kept (those promises) even when it wasn't popular.
"The election will determine if voters believe I have upheld that commitment."
One of Burr's potential Senate challengers, Elaine Marshall, also filed her paperwork yesterday to run in the Democratic primary. Marshall has served as N.C. Secretary of State since 1997.
She is scheduled to participate in a U.S. Senate candidate forum, sponsored by the state Democratic Party, at 7 p.m. March 8 at Winston-Salem State University. Three other Democratic candidates have filed to run -- former state Sen. Cal Cunningham of Lexington, Chapel Hill attorney Ken Lewis and Lumberton attorney Marcus Williams.
Burr said he chose to run for re-election because he believes "it's absolutely crucial that the leadership of Congress reflect more of what the American people want" in terms of health-care reform, reviving the economy through job creation, and handling taxes and government spending.
"I'm passionate that I want to be part of the solution," Burr said.
Burr said he is not concerned about an anti-incumbent sentiment rising in the country.
After all, Burr is used to being among the top targets of the national Democratic Party following Kay Hagen's stunning win over former U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole in 2008.
Burr also is catching flak from a group of GOP supporters who are evaluating whether he is "a true conservative." Eddie Burks, an Asheboro city councilman, and Brad Jones, a businessman from Hendersonville, are challenging Burr in the Republican primary. Jones considers the late Sen. Jesse Helms the true conservative standard for North Carolina.
However, Burr said he believes that "it is impossible for any candidate to get to the right of me from an ideological standpoint and the standpoint of my record. The unfortunate thing is that is where anybody would have to attempt to go to really make any type of progress in the Republican primary.
"I'm not going to shift who I am or what I'm for based upon a primary or a general election."
Burr said that it is likely some form of health-care reform will be approved by Congress this year. He said he believes that President Obama wants bipartisan support for health-care reform.
But, he said, now is the time to see whether the president means it by overriding the agenda being set by Harry Reid, D-Nev., the Senate majority Leader.
Burr said he would like the reform plan to be more focused on drug development, innovation and approval as a way to move drugs more quickly to the American market and potentially add more pharmaceutical and biotechnology jobs in the state.
Burr talked about a proposal to build three large outpatient centers for veterans in the state, including one in Winston-Salem. If approved, the centers, which would be about 285,000 square feet, would likely open in 2013. Burr backs a plan to have a private developer build the centers, then lease them back to the federal government.
Burr said that reaching out to voters in 2010 will require spending as much effort on Facebook and other social-media outlets as his campaign does on newspapers, radio and television.
Part of the reason is that people who have moved into North Carolina since 2004 have never seen his name on a ballot, Burr said.
Marshall said at a separate press conference that she is the most qualified Democrat to take on Burr because of her political experience.
"Somebody who has a very clear record, voters have something (they) can rely upon, rather than folks who make very good stump speeches but don't have a track record," Marshall said. "That's a clear distinction" between Democratic candidates.
Cunningham pledged to make the economy and job creation the focus of his campaign.
Lewis said he is running as an outsider hoping to ride the anti-incumbent sentiment into office.
rcraver@wsjournal.com
727-7376
The Associated Press contributed to this article
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