Saul Schorr

Perdue swears off negative ads

ryanteaguebeckwith — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 10:46:01 -0400

Beverly Perdue will not run any more negative ads in the primary.

The Democratic gubernatorial candidate pulled TV ads attacking rival Richard Moore off the air and off of YouTube and took down a negative Web site aimed at Moore early this morning.

In their place, she is running a new statewide ad that promises to change the tone of the race.

"In my mind, regardless of who started it, voters across the state really don't like it," she said.

At a press conference at Democratic Party headquarters, Perdue said that she changed her mind after being approached by voters, her husband and her son, Emmett and Garrett. She said that some of her political consultants disagreed with the decision.

"Saul Schorr is probably somewhere crying," she said, jokingly, of her media consultant. "He had to throw away the knifes and the guns, and it's not a happy day for him."

Perdue reserved the right to run ads responding to claims she deems inaccurate or unfair in Moore's ads and has left similar fact-checks on her Web site. She said that she has not made a decision about the general election.

"Ask me that question on the night of May 6," she said.

Perdue spent $1.2 million in 2007

ryanteaguebeckwith — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 18:14:43 -0500

Beverly Perdue spent $1.2 million in 2007.

The Democratic gubernatorial candidate's biggest expenses last year were related to her campaign staff, including payroll taxes and services.

(Her overall expenses since her re-election in 2005 were $1.7 million.)

She paid $136,782 to fundraiser Marion Sullivan; $129,372 for policy research to a firm owned by Pope "Mac" McCorkle; $119,983 to a firm run by Mike Easley's media consultant, Saul Schorr; and $82,230 for polling to Peter D. Hart Research Associates.

Perdue also paid $42,060 to her finance consultant, Peter Reichard, and $31,442 to Rideout Research Group of Raleigh for research, according to campaign finance reports.

In addition, she reimbursed the State Highway Patrol $3,838 for providing a security detail at campaign events.

Spokesman David Kochman said that Perdue has the advantage of an existing network of supporters, allowing the campaign to spend its money putting together plans on health care and education.

"A lot of voters are just beginning to pay attention," he said. "But we've been working hard for some time to lay the foundation for a strong campaign."