Treasurer Richard Moore criticized another legislative action by Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue that he says calls into question her record on civil rights.
"Bev Perdue is claiming she supported civil rights her 'entire life,' but her record tells a very different story," Moore campaign manager Jay Reiff said in an e-mail message to supporters.
Before 1989, a candidate in a North Carolina primary election had to win 50 percent of the vote to avoid a runoff. Black Democrats said then that the law was a barrier to their winning nomination for key offices, Dome reported then. In the 1989 session, black legislators made lowering the threshold to 40 percent a priority.
Perdue, then a member of the House, sponsored an amendment that raised the threshold in the bill from 40 percent to 45 percent. Dome reported that the bill's supporters thought the change "gutted" the bill.
Her campaign didn't respond immediatly to requests for comment. She said at the time the amendment was a compromise.
More on what Dome said at the time after the jump.
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"I think what Beverly Perdue did was a slap in the fact of black people, if you want to know the truth," said Rep. H.M. "Mickey" Michaux Jr., D-Durham, the black caucus chairman.
He also said it could hurt the political chances of Mrs. Perdue, who is considering a bid for statewide office in 1992.
"I don't know what her statewide aspirations are," Mr. Michaux said. "But anybody who is as outsopken as that is going to be in trouble in the black community statewide. That is just my opinion."
Michaux is now a Perdue supporter and one of the signers of a letter condemning Moore's ad on another 1989 vote.
The amendment is the second 1989 item the Moore campaign says shows Democrats should mistrust Perdue's record on civil rights.
Perdue's campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In 1989, she told Dome that she offered the amendment because she believes Democrats should nominate the candidate with the broadest support, regardless of race.
"If you are going to run, you need enough votes behind you to win," Mrs. Perdue said. She called the 45 percent rule a good "compromise."
She said she did not consider the political risks when she offered the amendment.
"My agenda has never been based on running for statewide office," she said. "I do what I believe is right for the people of North Carolina."
Correction: A previous version of this post inccorectly stated that Perdue was a freshman legislator in 1989.
Document(s):
perdue supporters letter.pdf
