Three Democratic candidates for the U.S. Senate attacked Republican incumbent Richard Burr last night, saying he has pursued a conservative agenda in Washington and has not represented North Carolinians' best interests.
Ken Lewis, a Winston-Salem native and Durham lawyer, Cal Cunningham, a Lexington lawyer, and N.C. Secretary of State Elaine Marshall spoke about their candidacies for about 15 minutes each at a forum in the Thompson Student Center at Winston-Salem State University.
About 100 people attended the forum, including local Democratic elected officials.
Three other Democratic senate candidates -- Marcus Williams of Lumberton, Ann Worthy of Gastonia and Susan Harris of Old Fort -- didn't attend the forum, which was sponsored by the N.C. Democratic Party. All six are on the ballot for the May 4 Democratic primary.
Burr, who lives in Winston-Salem, is running for re-election to a second six-year term in the Senate. Larry Linney of Charlotte, Brad Jones of Lake Toxaway and Eddie Burks of Asheboro are running against Burr in the Republican primary.
Michael Beitler, a Libertarian, will be on the ballot in November.
At last night's forum, Lewis, Cunningham and Marshall talked about their backgrounds. They also each said that Burr has not provided leadership to help bring the country together as it fights wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and has neglected the state's residents as they endure the current recession.
Lewis, a 1979 graduate of East Forsyth High School, said he would be the strongest Democratic candidate to run against Burr in the fall.
"This is our year to create the change we deserve," Lewis said. "I'm running to change the U.S. Senate. We must invest in everyone. No child can be wasted."
Lewis mentioned that U.S. Rep. Mel Watt, D-12th, endorsed him yesterday in his bid for the Senate.
Cunningham, a former member of the N.C. Senate, said that Burr has spent 16 years in Washington pursuing a right-wing agenda. Burr was elected five times to the U.S. House before he was elected to the Senate in 2004.
He also criticized Burr for not attending several meetings of the Veterans' Affairs Committee of which Burr is a member.
Cunningham, who served as an Army paratrooper and prosecutor in Iraq, said he would support ending American involvement in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and work to improve the economy and create jobs at home.
Toward that end, Cunningham said he would work to "connect classrooms to the work force."
Marshall, the first woman to win a statewide election in North Carolina, said she decided to run for the Senate because she wants to help the country recover from the recession. She is serving her fourth term as secretary of state, and noted her work for lobbying reform in Raleigh.
Marshall criticized Burr and other Republican senators for opposing the health-care reform bill and not doing anything to fix health care.
She said that voters should not return incumbents to the Congress who helped create the problems facing the nation.
"We need people who are part of the solution and not part of the problem," Marshall said.
jhinton@wsjournal.com
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