Democrats Accuse Republicans Of ‘Sabotage’ In A Key North Carolina Race
Democrats in North Carolina are accusing Republicans of sabotage after an outside contestant for the Democratic senate nomination has threatened the chances of the establishment candidate, reports Politico.
The brouhaha began a week ago when numerous advertisements for three-term state senator Erica Smith began hitting the airwaves. The media blitz came as a shock to establishment Democrats, as Smith had previously struggled to find funding throughout the race. However, shock soon turned to suspicion as it was revealed that the benefactor behind her $2 million ad campaign was a PAC called Faith and Power — and had links to a bank favored by Republicans.
Though the Faith and Power PAC has not made any comments on the matter, many Democrats are already calling the actions sabotage, as they believe that Smith has less of a chance of beating current Republican incumbent Thom Tillis than party favorite Cal Cunningham.
“It’s so brazen and obvious. … They recognize that Cunningham is a strong candidate, and they’re worried about holding onto that seat,” said Virginia Senator Tim Kaine.
“When Republicans are weighing in for somebody, they’ve made the judgment that they’re worried about Cal, and they’re not worried about her,” he added.
North Carolina will be key to flipping the US Senate for Democrats in 2020.
Erica Smith beats incumbent Republican Thom Tillis in every poll of this race, by bringing US together.https://t.co/5Z7mksb8uK #ncpol #ncsen pic.twitter.com/vT00Q9sRhV
— Erica D. Smith for Congress (@EricaforUS) December 26, 2019
That said, Faith and Power is not the only mysterious PAC in the race. Cunningham just won $1 million from a PAC called “Carolina Blue,” which in turn has ties to Democratic leadership, sparking accusations that party officials — rather than the people of North Carolina — are trying to decide the seat.
“The special interest groups and big, wealthy donors out of New York are trying to buy this Senate seat, and it’s just shameful and it is embarrassing,” Smith told Real Clear Politics.
“I just worry about the people I serve in North Carolina. We don’t have the same demographics as New York, and this Senate seat is not for sale,” she added.
Cunningham is currently leading Smith by double digits, but many experts worry that Smith is catching up. But even if Cunningham emerges victorious, his campaign has had to employ money and resources fighting off this new internal attack.
The North Carolina senate seat is arguably the most important race that Democrats are facing in the legislative branch this upcoming fall. Senator Tillis is suffering from poor approval ratings, making him one of the best seats for Democrats to target — and an essential one if Democrats have any hopes of flipping the senate.
Meanwhile, North Carolina is not the only contentious Democratic race at present, as the fight for the presidential nomination continues. Politicos are even beginning to worry that the Democratic convention could be contested, which experts warn could “tear the party apart,” as was previously reported by The Inquisitr.
