In Case You Missed It… U.S. Representative Heath Shuler (D-NC) On A Potential Challenge To U.S. Senator Richard Burr (R-NC)

Monday, 08 June 2009 00:00

?I am not running for Senate ? I am not running for Senate. I am not running for Senate. I have said that a thousand times, and I don't know why they keep coming up (with the idea).?

To read the entire article, please click HERE

?

BACKGROUND ON DEMOCRAT RECRUITING FAILURES IN NORTH CAROLINA

Raleigh News & Observer Headline: ?Challenge Burr? Democrats Decline In Droves.? (Ryan Teague Beckwith, Bruce Siceloff, Mark Johnson and Benjamin Niolet, ?Challenge Burr? Democrats Decline In Droves,? Raleigh News & Observer, 5/20/09)

FAILURE #1: NC Attorney General Roy Cooper:

North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper Was The ?Most Sought-After? Challenger To U.S. Senator Richard Burr And Was The Subject Of A ?High-Intensity Recruitment Campaign? By National Democrats. ?And that is why state Attorney General Roy Cooper is the subject of a high-intensity recruitment campaign by the national Democratic Party ? The most sought-after is Cooper, the three-term attorney general, whom people have been touting as a future governor since he arrived in the legislature in the mid-1980s. Schumer and company unsuccessfully lobbied Cooper to run for the Senate last year -- and are now at it again.? (Rob Christensen, ?Who Will Challenge Burr?,? Raleigh News & Observer, 3/29/09)

• Even President Obama Urged Cooper To Enter The Race At A White House Meeting. ?President Barack Obama is expected to put a little presidential pressure on Attorney General Roy Cooper at the White House today, urging ?Coop? to step into the U.S. Senate race next year, Dome hears on the street. Cooper will ostensibly visit 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., along with the state's congressional delegation, to show their support for the NCAA champion UNC men's basketball team during the traditional photo op with the president, who correctly picked the Tar Heels in his bracket. But Cooper, a third-term Democrat, is also expected to have a private talk with Obama about taking on Republican U.S. Sen. Richard Burr in 2010.? (Mark Johnson, ?Cooper And Obama To Chat Today,? Raleigh News & Observer?s ?Under The Dome? Blog, 5/11/09)

• ?Mr. Obama Tried Unsuccessfully To Recruit North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper To Take On Sen. Richard Burr Next Year, Meeting With Him At The White House In Mid-May, Just Days Before Mr. Cooper Bowed Out.? (Jonathan Weisman, ?Obama Aims To Sway Midterm Elections,? The Wall Street Journal, 5/26/09)

On May 15, Cooper Announced He Would Not Run For Senate. ?Attorney General Roy Cooper has decided not to challenge Republican Sen. Richard Burr next year, dissapointing Democrats who saw him as potentially their strongest candidate. ?While I am honored by the encouragement I?ve received, I don?t want to go to Washington and serve as a U.S. Senator at this time,? Cooper said in a statement. ?I am committed to public service and I want to serve here in North Carolina rather than in Washington.?? (Rob Christensen, ?Cooper Will Not Run For Senate,? Raleigh News & Observer, 5/15/09)

FAILURE #2: U.S. Representative Heath Shuler (D-NC):

Heath Shuler Had Previously Ruled Out A Potential Run For Senate In March 2009. ?North Carolina Rep. Heath Shuler?s decision not to run for Senate in 2010 means the Democrats have to worry less about holding onto his seat, but it removes from the field one of the leading contenders to take on Republican Sen. Richard M. Burr who is seen as vulnerable. . . . Shuler had been considered a leading contender to take on Burr, who has failed to win over the state?s voters in his first term in office, recent polls show. . . . In a statement released Monday night, Shuler pointed to the economic crisis as the prime reason he decided to stay put. ?With our nation facing the most difficult economic times in generations, I feel my efforts are better utilized focusing on solutions to these challenges rather than campaigning across the state,? he said.? (Emily Cadei, ?Shuler On The Sidelines in N.C. Senate Race,? Congressional Quarterly Today, 3/12/09)

• Shuler: ?My Focus Is And Will Remain On Representing The People Of The 11th Congressional District.? ?Congressman Heath Shuler, thought to be strongly considering a run for U.S. Senate, will not challenge U.S. Sen. Richard Burr in 2010. Shuler, D-Waynesville, defeated longtime incumbent Republican Charles Taylor in 2006 and in November handily beat challenger Carl Mumpower, an Asheville City Council member. A member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog caucus in the House of Representatives, Shuler has become a relatively high-profile congressman in just two years, fueling speculation that he would seek the higher office and challenge Burr, a Republican from Winston-Salem. ?I was flattered to have been asked by so many people across North Carolina to run for the U.S. Senate in 2010,? Shuler said in a statement released Monday. ?However, with our nation facing the most difficult economic times in generations, I feel my efforts are better utilized focusing on solutions to these challenges rather than campaigning across the state. My focus is and will remain on representing the people of the 11th Congressional District.?? (John Boyle, ?Shuler Not Running For Senate,? The Asheville Citizen-Times, 3/10/09)

In May, Democrats Again Attempted To Recruit Shuler. ?Rep. Heath Shuler is being recruited again to run for the Senate, and the Western North Carolina congressman might take them up on that idea ? In recent weeks, however, the buzz has started again that Shuler was exploring a run against Burr. The flames were only fanned when Attorney General Roy Cooper said he was not going to run for the senate.? (James Shea, ?Democrats Again Recruiting Shuler For Senate,? Hendersonville Times-News, 5/27/09)

• According To North Carolina Democrat Party Chairman David Young, The DSCC Members Are ?Talking To Him [Shuler] Very Seriously.? ?On Friday. North Carolina Democratic Party Chairman David Young told an Asheville radio station that Shuler is again considering a Senate run. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee members ?are talking to him very seriously,? Young told WPEK 880-AM. ?I believe congressman Shuler is considering it again.?? (James Shea, ?Democrats Again Recruiting Shuler For Senate,? Hendersonville Times-News, 5/27/09)

The DSCC Had Listed Shuler As One Of Their Four Top Candidates After Cooper?s Withdrawal. ? ?Still, the DSCC ? which is otherwise staying mum on the recruitment process ? is taking four Democratic candidates seriously at the moment, according to a committee source. Their top candidates are, in no particular order: Rep. Heath Shuler, the former NFL quarterback and second term congressman from western North Carolina's 11th district; Rep. Bob Etheridge from the Raleigh-area second district; former state Treasurer Richard Moore, who lost in the state's Democratic gubernatorial primary last year; and Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton.? (Peter Hamby, ?DSCC Eyes Four Picks For NC Senate Seat,? CNN?s ?Political Ticker? Blog, 5/18/09)

On June 8, Shuler Again Ruled Out A Senate Bid. ?U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler shot down speculation today that he is still pondering a run for Senate. ?I am not running for Senate,? the second-term Democrat said after a ground-breaking ceremony for a new building at the Bent Creek Experimental Forest Station in Asheville. ?I am not running for Senate. I am not running for Senate. I have said that a thousand times, and I don't know why they keep coming up (with the idea). Of course they keep coming up and running polls.? ? But speculation about a Shuler Senate run resurfaced in late May, when North Carolina Democratic Party Chairman David Young told an Asheville radio station that the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee was still recruiting the Western North Carolina congressman, and hinted that Shuler was reconsidering his previous rejection.? (?Shuler: 'I'm not running for Senate?,? Henderson Times-News, 6/8/09)

FAILURE #3: North Carolina Lieutenant Governor Walter Dalton:

On May 19, Walton Dalton Ruled Out A Senate Bid. ?Political consultant Morgan Jackson, who advises Dalton, said that he is not seeking the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in 2010, despite recent chatter. ?Dalton is focused on serving the people of North Carolina as lieutenant governor and helping the state navigate through these difficult economic times,? he said. ?He is currently not considering a bid for the U.S. Senate.?? (Ryan Teague Beckwith, ?Dalton Not Interested In Race,? Raleigh News & Observer?s ?Under The Dome? Blog, 5/19/09)

• The DSCC Had Listed Dalton As One Of Their Four Top Candidates After Cooper?s Withdrawal. ? ?Still, the DSCC ? which is otherwise staying mum on the recruitment process ? is taking four Democratic candidates seriously at the moment, according to a committee source. Their top candidates are, in no particular order: Rep. Heath Shuler, the former NFL quarterback and second term congressman from western North Carolina's 11th district; Rep. Bob Etheridge from the Raleigh-area second district; former state Treasurer Richard Moore, who lost in the state's Democratic gubernatorial primary last year; and Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton.? (Peter Hamby, ?DSCC Eyes Four Picks For NC Senate Seat,? CNN?s ?Political Ticker? Blog, 5/18/09)

FAILURE #4: U.S. Representative Bob Etheridge (D-NC):

On May 18, Bob Etheridge Stated His Focus Was On His Work In The U.S. House. ?U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge has weighed in on the Senate race. ?My focus is on serving the constituents I represent in the Second District and my new appointment as North Carolina's only member on the House Ways and Means Committee,? he said in a statement. ?During these unsure times, my priorities are job creation and growing North Carolina's economy.?? (Ryan Teague Beckwith, ?Etheridge Happy In The House?? Raleigh News & Observer?s ?Under The Dome? Blog, 5/18/09)

• The DSCC Had Listed Etheridge As One Of Their Four Top Candidates After Cooper?s Withdrawal. ? ?Still, the DSCC ? which is otherwise staying mum on the recruitment process ? is taking four Democratic candidates seriously at the moment, according to a committee source. Their top candidates are, in no particular order: Rep. Heath Shuler, the former NFL quarterback and second term congressman from western North Carolina's 11th district; Rep. Bob Etheridge from the Raleigh-area second district; former state Treasurer Richard Moore, who lost in the state's Democratic gubernatorial primary last year; and Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton.? (Peter Hamby, ?DSCC Eyes Four Picks For NC Senate Seat,? CNN?s ?Political Ticker? Blog, 5/18/09)

FAILURE #5: Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker:

On May 19, Charles Meeker Removed Himself From The Running For The Senate. ?Charles Meeker is not in the running. The longtime Raleigh mayor told Dome this morning that he's not considering a run for the Democratic nomination to face U.S. Sen. Richard Burr. ?I'm not looking at running for Senate,? he said. Meeker considered a campaign against Sen. Elizabeth Dole in 2008, but he's not looked at leaving the mayor's seat soon. ?This is the highest office in my view,? he said.? (Ryan Teague Beckwith, ?Meeker's Not Interested,? Raleigh News & Observer?s ?Under The Dome? Blog, 5/19/09)

FAILURE #6: N.C. House Representative Grier Martin:

On May 19, Grier Martin Ruled Out A Senate Bid. ?Rep. Grier Martin says he's not running either. The Raleigh Democrat, who turned down a recruiting campaign in 2008, told Dome that he's not considering a race against U.S. Sen. Richard Burr. ?My decision to decline a chance to run against Elizabeth Dole was also not to run in 2010,? he said.? Martin said he's declined both chances because he wants to spend more time with his six-year-old daughter, Sara, which he called ?one of the best decisions? he's ever made.? (Ryan Teague Beckwith, ?Martin's Not Interested Either,? Raleigh News & Observer?s ?Under The Dome? Blog, 5/19/09)

FAILURE #7: N.C. House Representative Tricia Cotham:

On May 29, Cotham Shot Down Rumors She Was Considering A Senate Bid. ?Rep. Tricia Cotham shot down a rumor that she's considering a Senate run. The Charlotte Democrat, the second-youngest state legislator, was rumored to be considering a campaign for the nomination in 2010. She said she's been asked, but she's not interested. ?I've had quite a few people ask me over the past couple of weeks to consider it,? she told Dome. ?I just kept saying I'm very flattered but right now my only priority is the legislature.?? (Ryan Teague Beckwith, ?Cotham: Not Running For Senate,? Raleigh News & Observer?s ?Under The Dome? Blog, 5/29/09)

FAILURE #8: Former State Treasurer Richard Moore:

In December 2008, Moore Described A Senate Run As ?Not Something I?m Interested In.? ?But for now, Moore said he has no plans to run for political office. That includes a possible campaign against Republican U.S. Sen. Richard Burr in 2010. ?I have no idea how that would look like a year from now or what my appetite would be,? Moore said. ?But right now, it's not something I'm interested in.?? (Rob Christensen,? Richard Moore Out Of Politics, For Now,? Raleigh News & Observer, 12/26/08)

FAILURE #9: State Senator Malcolm Graham:

Malcolm Graham Said ?No Way? To A Senate Run On June 2. ?Scratch another name off the Democratic list. State Sen. Malcolm Graham of Charlotte shot down rumors this morning that he was considering a run for U.S. Senate in 2010 ?No way,? he said. He had previously told the Fayetteville Observer he was taking "a casual look" at running against U.S. Sen. Richard Burr.? (Ryan Teague Beckwith, ?Graham Not Interested In Senate Bid,? Raleigh News & Observer?s ?Under The Dome? Blog, 6/2/09)

FAILURE #10: Elizabeth Edwards, Wife Of Former North Carolina Senator John Edwards:

?There's An Upcoming North Carolina Race That Needs A Fresh Democrat, But Edwards Says That When It Comes To Politics, She's Been There, Done That. ?I Was President Of My Junior Class In High School. It Was A Pain In The Neck,? She Says. ?It Should Cure Anyone Of Any Desire To Run For Office.?? (Nikki Schwab, ?Sen. Elizabeth Edwards? Even She Isn't That Resilient,? U.S. News & World Report?s ?Washington Whispers,? 6/3/09)