District 10: Have a message to send? Now's your time to send it

Tuesday’s runoff between N.C. House District 10 Republican candidates Willie Ray Starling and Rep. Stephen LaRoque is the first round of chances Wayne County residents have to determine a part of their future.

Whether you are for LaRoque or Starling, whether you think the revote is fair or unfair, ultimately, the chance to express your opinion occurs the moment you step into the voting booth.

If you do not like the way the first election was handled, choose accordingly. If you think one of the candidates has an underlying agenda or a misstatement of allegiance that needs to be addressed, make that choice. And, if you feel one man would be a better representative to act on your county’s behalf, hit that button.

If you are a registered Republican or an unaffiliated voter in District 10 who did not vote a Democratic ballot in May, you can make your voice heard Tuesday, even if you did not cast your vote the first time around. Don’t miss your chance.

There are some concerns about the LaRoque-Starling race. Some say there were voting procedure violations, while others say those who say they were not given the chance to make their choice knew better and are just trying to manipulate the election.

And like it or not, all the controversy surrounding the vote has kept the candidates from campaigning — and the real race for District 10 from beginning.

The delay has given the voters less time to decide whether Starling, LaRoque or Democrat Van Braxton is a better choice to represent them in the N.C. House.

Tuesday should be the end of the GOP race for the District 10 seat.

Moving on to the next battle is the only way to make sure the voters have time to make their next — and equally as important — choice.

Published in Editorials on September 9, 2006 11:26 PM