Rumors abound on November contests
By Matthew Whittle
Published in News on September 8, 2009 1:46 PM
With the 2009 session of the state General Assembly over and filing for the 2010 primaries only a few months away, rumors about who might be run and who might retire are beginning to fly.
One has former state Rep. Louis Pate, a Republican, challenging Sen. Don Davis, D-Greene, again -- he lost to the Democrat in 2008 after former Sen. John Kerr, D-Wayne, decided to retire.
Another has state Sen. Charlie Albertson, D-Duplin, stepping down after nine terms in the Senate and two in the House.
However, neither man is willing to confirm -- or to deny those rumors -- just yet.
"They put that rumor out every time," Albertson said. "I haven't decided what I'm going to do -- still trying to get over the last session. It's always a possibility, anything can happen.
"I haven't made up my mind yet, but when I do, I'll let everybody know. I tell everyone, until you hear different, assume I'll be running."
But if he does decide to retire, state Rep. Van Braxton, D-Lenoir, is among those rumored to be in line to replace him -- if he even decides to run again.
"I'll look at all my options. I've not talked with Charlie. If he does decide to retire I'll certainly take a look at it, but at this point I don't have any plans for the Senate or the House. It's still a little early," he said. "I probably will run, but I've not given it a lot of thought yet. It was a tough session and a tough year, but I've enjoyed serving, and I've tried to serve the people."
Another name being tossed about as a possible candidate if Albertson does retire is that of Duplin County District Attorney Dewey Hudson.
Closer to Wayne County, Pate also said he hasn't yet decided what he will do in February.
"I'm just looking at it from a standpoint of I've been there before," he said. "Right now it's a rumor. I'm looking at it. People are coming to me and I'm listening to what they say. I haven't made up my mind."
However, he does believe that 2010 is likely to be a good year for Republicans.
"I think the people of North Carolina and the people of the United States have had a wake-up call, and I think the people are quite frankly getting tired of having to see their assets taken by the federal and state governments, especially at a time when the economy is so poor," Pate said. "If you listen to what they say -- people who look at politics -- people say this could be a year with a lot of opportunity."