Marcus Smith

Perdue raised $17.8m by end of '08

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 09:52:49 -0500

Gov. Beverly Perdue raised $17.8 million for her campaign.

According to the final campaign finance report filed with the State Board of Elections, Perdue raised $2.4 million from Oct. 19 to the end of the year.

Her biggest donors that quarter included Pfizer Vice President Marcus Abrams, Brody's owner Hyman Brody, SAS Institute CEO Jim Goodnight, Fortress Investment Group managing director Michael Malone, SMI Motorsports vice president Marcus Smith.

She also received major donations from the Communications Workers of America, Planned Parenthood of Central N.C., the Conservation Council of N.C., the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and PACs for Pfizer, GE, chiropractors and certified public accountants.

Other donations from the campaigns of state Reps. Jim Harrell and Bruce Goforth and Congressman Heath Shuler, among others.

Perdue also spent $17.7 million on her campaign.

McCrory pulls in Nascar money

ryanteaguebeckwith — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:15:49 -0400

Pat McCrory is doing well with Nascar.

The Republican gubernatorial nominee has picked up at least $70,000 from executives and owners of car-racing businesses and their wives.

Donors include such racing bigwigs as Brian France, chairman and CEO of Nascar; Hendrick Corp. Chairman Rick Hendrick and his wife; Gillett Evernham Motorsports owner Ray Evernham; and team owner Felix Sabates.

He's also received donations from Charles Ricks, Robert Rice and Scott Lampe, executives with Hendrick Motorsports; Greg Fornelli, president of Stock Car Steel; Nascar executives Paul Brooks and Rex Caton; and Marcus Smith, who sits on the board of directors of Speedway Motorsports.

McCrory had a major fundraiser including Nascar driver Brian Vickers and team owners Hendrick and Sabates in February, but he doesn't have the racing vote entirely locked up.

Democratic rival Beverly Perdue had a Nascar fundraiser of her own, headlined by Hendrick, Sabates and Fornelli, back in October.

It's not clear if the Nascar folks have changed lanes or not.

Perdue's Nascar fundraiser

ryanteaguebeckwith — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 11:23:49 -0400

A group of Nascar notables is raising money for Beverly Perdue.

The Oct. 11 fundraiser at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord will take place shortly before the qualifying rounds for the Bank of America 500. Hosts include Nascar president Mike Helton and vice president Marcus Smith and retired driver Junior Johnson.

Tickets to the event range from $250 for an individual to $2,000 for a "Pole Position" and $4,000 for the "Winner's Circle." It lasts from 5 to 7 p.m.

The other hosts are racing promoter H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler, team owners Rick Hendrick and Felix Sabates, metals supplier Greg Fornelli, racetrack owner Steve Earwood and Dale Earnhardt's daughter, Kelley Earnhardt-Elledge.

Sabates is an interesting name on the list. A registered Republican, he is a major Nascar political donor and GOP supporter who gave to Gov. Mike Easley in 2000 and 2004.

Update: It's not Perdue's first time at the speedway. As a state senator in the 1990s, she did a lap as a passenger in a Nascar racecar.