Tag search result

Former congressman Bill Cobey was elected chairman of the State Board of Education on Wednesday.

Cobey replaces Bill Harrison, a former school district superintendent who left the board earlier this year after his term expired.

R.L. "Buddy" Collins of Forsyth County was elected vice president. Equality NC, a gay advocacy group, tried to get Gov. Pat McCrory to withdraw Collins' appointment.

Cobey is a former chairman of the state Republican Party. He was sworn in as a board of education member along with five other McCrory appointees.

Former congressman and former GOP state chairman William Cobey is one of Gov. Pat McCrory's nominees to the State Board of Education.

The legislature plans to move quickly to approve the nominees before the State Board of Education meeting next week, at the governor's request. A joint session may come Monday or Tuesday, House Speaker Thom Tillis said.

McCrory nominated Cobey to an at-large seat.

Rebecca Taylor was nominated to fill the 1st district seat, replacing Jean Woolard. Taylor has worked in education for more than 35 years. She is a former special education teacher and now owns and operates Sylvan Learning Centers in eastern North Carolina.

Gregory Alcorn was nominated to fill the 7th district seat.

All three nominees' terms expire March 31,2019. Terms have expired for three current board members, including Chairman Bill Harrison.

Pat McCrory's transition office released a list of top advisors consulting for the governor-elect as part of his working groups -- a list filled with prominent GOP donors and politicos.

Among the names: Bill Cobey, the former GOP chairman, is consulting on administrative matters; Fred Smith, a former state senator and developer, is consulting on environmental issues; and Les Merritt, a member of the state ethics board and former state auditor, is consulting on tax reform. (See full list below.)

The names are likely to reflect many that will work in McCrory's administration but don't represent all offering advice to the incoming Republican governor, the transition office acknowledged. Others are giving informal suggestions in conference calls and meetings but are not listed.

One glaring omission is the lack of leaders on two major topics McCrory promised to accomplish in the campaign: education and government transformation. A McCrory aide said the groups will commence after the Jobs and Economy team finishes their work, given their relation to each other.

Will the endorsements of two former governors help Pat McCrory?

History suggests some reason for doubt. Both former Republican governors Jim Holshouser and Jim Martin endorsed George Little in the 2004 Republican primary, and Holshouser served as co-chairman of his committee.

Little was a longtime Republican fundraiser and Moore County insurance broker who was the most moderate candidate in the field. He supported the lottery and was widely considered one of the few Republicans who could win Democratic votes in the general election.

He came in last, after state Sen. Fern Shubert, Davie County Commissioner Dan Barrett, former state GOP chairman Bill Cobey, former Charlotte mayor Richard Vinroot and and the eventual nominee, state Sen. Patrick Ballantine, who lost the general election.

"Endorsements rarely matter," Rob Christensen wrote afterward. "Candidates work very hard to get the blessings of well-known political figures. But the primary results suggest there are better ways to spend their time."

McCrory stressed that he did not seek out their support and would not rely on endorsements.