Democrats see Mackey behind challengers

Three Democratic legislators from Mecklenburg County are gearing up for primary challenges — and some suspect that fellow Democratic lawmaker Nick Mackey may be behind them.

State Sen. Malcolm Graham and Reps. Beverly Earle and Becky Carney all expect May primaries after candidate filing opens Feb. 8, Jim Morrill of The Charlotte Observer reports.

Mackey denies having anything to do with recruiting the challengers, though one is his former legislative aide and another is a former associate from his years at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

Colleagues aren't necessarily buying it.

"It's not very kind, it's kind of weird," Graham said Tuesday.

Earle, who has never faced a primary over her eight terms, said, "A lot of other folks are wondering ... why he would do this especially at this particular time."

"It's just such a coincidence" that they're Mackey's associates, she said.

Mackey acknowledges that he knows the challengers and even said he would support them. But he said he did not recruit them.

"It's offensive to me for someone to say 'Nick Mackey did this,'" he said. "They don't have any basis to say it."