So much for the garage band.

Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory has hired the Keith Richards of the North Carolina Republican Party.

Jack Hawke, a veteran GOP strategist, has signed on as the lead consultant for McCrory.

When McCrory entered the race last month, he declared he was going to run a garage band campaign. But after some early stumbles he has had second thoughts.

Hawke, a 66-year old Zebulon resident, managed the last successful Republican camapign for governor—Jim Martin in 1984.

He also was chief strategist for Jim Gardner’s successful 1988 camapign for lieutenant governor, helped Virginia Foxx get elected to Congess in 2004, and was state GOP party chairman for eight years, the longest of anybody in history.

He was also one of several consultants for Richard Vinroot's unsuccessful 2000 campaign for governor.

More after the jump.

   Comments (0)

Jim Gardner says that the lieutenant governor should have security.

The former lieutenant governor, who served from 1989 to 1992, said that he did not have security when he came into office, but he was assigned a Highway Patrol detail by Gov. Jim Martin sometime during the Gulf War.

His successors, Dennis Wicker and Beverly Perdue, have also received security.

In a report today, the state auditor's office noted that there are no "statutes, rules or regulations" to provide security, which is at the discretion of the governor. It also noted that Perdue had used state security while going to campaign events, for which she has reimbursed the patrol.

Gardner said he doesn't see the need for a distinction.

"I don't think the governor's ever made any distinction between when they were campaigning and when they were going to public events," he said.  

Primary runoff elections are a Southern institution.

In a 1997 column, veteran N&O political observer Rob Christensen wrote that primary runoffs have been a "political fact of life" in North Carolina since 1915, leading to defeats for Luther Hodges Jr., Frank Porter Graham and Jim Gardner, among others.

At the time, the legislature was considering abolishing them.

Christensen interviewed Charles Bullock, a University of Georgia professor who studied 1,222 primary runoffs between 1970 and 1986. Bullock, the nation's leading expert on primary runoffs, argued they are the least-understood aspect of American elections.

Bullock argued that primary runoffs: 1) Were not created to disenfranchise black voters. 2) Do not necessarily hurt black candidates. 3) Keep Democratic- and Republican-controlled districts competitive. 4) Do not necessarily hurt the eventual nominee. 5) Do not always go to the underdog. 6) Are not chosen by a handful of voters.

After the jump, the full text of the column.

   Comments (1)

Robert Pittenger is also stressing his endorsements.

In an e-mail announcement today, the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor noted the support of some heavy hitters in the GOP.

They are former Gov. Jim Martin, former Lt. Gov. Jim Gardner, former Sen. Lauch Faircloth, former Republican gubernatorial candidate Patrick Ballantine, House Minority Leader Paul Stam and Senate Minority Leader Phil Berger.

The Republican Party wants Don Beason out of business.

In a press release today, party chairwoman Linda Daves said that the lobbyist's $500,000 loan to disagraced former House Speaker Jim Black was "certainly unethical and highly improper," if not illegal.

"Beason's clients should not tolerate these tactics from someone they employ to represent their interests," she said in a statement. "Responsible clients will drop Beason as their lobbyist." 

Beason has strong Republican ties, having served in the administrations of governors Jim Holshouser and Jim Martin and Lt. Gov. Jim Gardner.

His client list includes BB&T, Progress Energy and Dale Earnhardt Inc.

About 450 people are at the Sheraton luncheon, according to organizers. No word on the reason for Rudy's plane delay, but Wake County is under a thunderstorm watch until 7 p.m.

Among the crowd:

* Former N.C. attorney general, secretary of state and Democratic nominee for governor Rufus Edmisten. Don't get any ideas that he's switched parties, though. Despite the heavily Republican flavor of the event today, there are a few Dems here.

* Former Republican gubernatorial nominee Patrick Ballantine has been seen making the rounds. It's his first debut since his loss to Gov. Mike Easley in 2004. Ballantine says he's considering a run for lieutenant governor.

* Former lieutenant governor, U.S. representative and 1992 Republican gubernatorial nominee Jim Gardner is in the audience. It's a rare public appearance for Gardner, who hasn't been seen in a while.

Hat Tip: Rob Christensen