Nine statewide candidates will accept public financing in their campaigns.
At a press conference held by N.C. Voters for Clean Elections outside the state Capitol today, nearly all of the three Republicans and six Democrats said that the financing program will make them less reliant on special interests.
The group includes two incumbents, Democratic Superintendent of Public Instruction June Atkinson and Republican state Auditor Les Merritt. It also includes insurance commissioner candidate Wayne Goodwin, who said his 2004 campaign for labor commissioner was eye-opening.
"While candidates used to visit all the county seats across this great state and visit every courthouse sheriff and stop in to enjoy an RC Cola at a country store or go to umpteen barbecue rallies around the state, in 2004 I learned how campaigning had succumbed to the money chase," he said.
He said he spent up to eight hours a day, six days a week, calling donors.
The other participants include superintendent candidates Eddie Davis and Eric H. Smith, auditor candidates Beth Wood and Fred Aikens and insurance commissioner candidates John Odom and David Smith.
David Smith did not attend the rally due to a family emergency.
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Re: Bringing RC Cola back to campaigns
I agree, I am so tired of these whiners as well. I bet Meg Scott Phipps, Jim Black, Michael Decker, and even Thomas Wright are also tired of hearing people say "lets take money out of politics". To think, had they only went to several more bbqs, and smiled nice and wide, maybe they would not be in jail, on their way to jail, or recently out of jail.