Tag search result

George Holding’s campaign is saying this evening that its internal polling shows he is leading Paul Coble by more than 12 points in the GOP primary for the 13^th congressional district.

Word comes in the form of a memo sent to supporters, saying a tracking poll was done last night. It adds that Holding has increased his lead in every region in the district. It says he leads among conservatives by more than 15 points.

Update: The campaign says it was a tracking poll of 600 Republican primary voters in the district, and it had a margin of error of 1 to 4 percent.

The super PAC supporting George Holding for Congress is swapping out ads it has been running on television with a more timely one. This one, which will air through election day Tuesday, picks up on the theme of an ad that began airing earlier this week and was paid for by Holding’s campaign committee.

Both ads jump on opponent Paul Coble’s remarks last week that Holding, the former U.S. attorney in Raleigh, went after former Gov. Mike Easley to promote his own political ambitions. The Holding camp saw it as an opportunity to stress Holdings’ tough-on-crime credentials. Both TV ads say Coble’s comment shows he’s worried.

“Desperate men do desperate deeds,” the new ad says.

It is paid for by the American Foundations Committee, a super PAC comprised almost entirely of Holding’s family and friends. By law, it can raise unlimited money to help a candidate but it can’t coordinate with a candidate’s campaign. It can, however, use information that is already in the public sphere, such as Coble’s published remarks.

Wake County Commissioner Paul Coble is quoted in an online publication saying there is "no question" the prosecution of John Edwards is political.

Coble's chief opponent for the 13th congressional district Republican nomination, George Holding, was the U.S. Attorney in Raleigh, remaining in office past his expiration date to oversee the Edwards prosecution.

Coble also referred to Holding's investigation of another prominent Democrat, former Gov. Mike Easley in another campaign finance probe. He said the Easley case was a waste of taxpayer money, noting prosecutors "didn't exactly put him away."

Opponents of the marriage amendment on the May ballot have tried to move the debate away from same-sex unions to a more common ground. They contend the amendment would endanger a wide range of legal benefits for all unmarried couples, including domestic violence protection, wills, employment benefits and custody agreements. Read more here.

--The campaign season is officially underway and the first congressional debate took place Saturday. In the 13th Congressional District race, Paul Coble played Mr. Insider and George Holding portrayed himself as Mr. Outsider concerning which candidate was best equipped to carry the conservative message to Washington. At the end, the rhetoric became testy. Read more here.

--A number of major UNC-backers in the state legislature are departing at the end of the year, prompting this question: Who will now speak up for the university in the halls of power? The answer isn't entirely clear, and the legislature is headed for even more turnover with this fall's election. But universities are already crafting a new message they hope will help them win friends among the unfamiliar faces. Read about the new strategy here.

--During the past decade, only three of North Carolina's 13 congressional districts changed parties. That is 65 House elections, and three party changes. In other words, there was about a 5 percent chance a congressman would lose. But 2012 will almost certainly bring big changes, due mainly to the redistricting plan passed by the Republican legislature - assuming it is upheld by the courts. Read Rob Christensen's column here.