University of North Carolina’s Institute of Politics Holds Senate Town Hall
Dr. Tobias LaGrone, a self-proclaimed “pro-life, conservative Democrat” addresses the crowd in Chapman Hall during the event on November 9th. Source: UNC IOP
On November 9th, the UNC’s Institute of Politics hosted a town hall meeting for the upcoming 2022 Senate Race in North Carolina. In attendance for the Democratic Party were State Senator Jeff Jackson — the front-runner of the group — former State Senator Erica Smith, Dr. Tobias LaGrone, and Dr. Richard Watkins, who just recently announced his exit from the Senate race in order to run for North Carolina’s 6th Congressional District. Jen Banwart was the lone Republican of the group, showing a certain level of bravery by bringing conservative views into an environment dominated by young, left-leaning college students. Banwart was not accompanied by notable Republican candidates such as former Gov. Pat McCrory and Rep. Ted Budd, both of whom far outstrip her in recent polling. Perhaps most conspicuously absent, however, was former Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court Cheri Beasley, who currently has an edge over Jackson for the top spot in the Democratic Primary race and has topped all candidates of both parties in fundraising for the third quarter. In the end, Jackson was the real candidate of note, and the town hall was mostly a chance for him to bolster his case as a man willing to talk to all voters everywhere, in contrast to the more reticent and removed Beasley.
Beasley’s absence and Jackson’s presence follows a trend: Jackson’s public speaking, as reported by POLITICO’s Michael Kruse, outpaces Beasley’s by about a factor of twelve. Referencing North Carolina’s 100 counties, Jackson’s opening remarks emphasized his connectedness with voters: “We tried to make it a true 100 country campaign—I think it’s the right to do, and I also think it’s the only way to win…so we held an open town hall meeting in every single county in North Carolina.” Jackson and each of the other four candidates at the meeting all asserted tritely that they would represent the interests of the people and not corporate PACs or party bosses. And while today such messaging is common and popular, it often felt like a waste of each candidate’s short window of speaking time. After all, one would be hard pressed to find a politician insisting that they would ignore the will of the people in favor of corporations and wealthy individuals. To Jackson’s credit, however, he at least seems to have the campaign record to give his claims more weight.
Dr. LaGrone created some buzz in the crowd when he introduced himself as a “pro-life, conservative Democrat.” He continued by saying, “I represent the essence of the traditional African American church…and I believe that the church should have a voice in the direction of this country.” He voiced similarly uncommon sentiments within the Democratic party on the subject of guns: “I am a bible believing, gun toting pastor. Grace and mercy follow me, but Smith & Wesson is always by my side.” And while LaGrone spoke with conviction, clarity, and often gave impressive displays of the depth of his knowledge on a variety of issues, the fact remains that those positions are fundamentally unpopular within his own party, and particularly among young people, who are widely known to be more pro-gun control, less religious, and more pro-choice.
Former N.C. Sen. Erica Smith had a strong showing, relying on her years in the state legislature as proof of her fitness for the open seat. Her opening remarks centered on her identification with working class Americans, saying in a somewhat playful tone, “unlike some of the candidates in this race, I am not independently wealthy…and so this chick has to work!” She emphasized her belief in the importance of increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour and finished with the common refrain of representing the people and not special interests. Her messaging throughout the night did not stray far from a traditional Democratic agenda, but her history of experience in government coupled with her self-assured manner lent her an air of added credibility. Despite her strong showing, her deficit behind both Jackson and Beasley may be too much to overcome.
Ms. Banwart, as the sole representative of her party, often seemed to find herself defending her ideology rather than making a case for herself as a candidate. One notable example occurred during a question on climate change. Banwart began by saying, “I think, sometimes, we get sideways a little bit. We assume that because people are from different political ideologies, that Republicans care less.” Banwart frequently led with caveats about the Republican position on certain issues, as if she anticipated negative responses to her points before they were made. Perhaps in an environment more tilted in her direction, it would have been easier to go straight into her own talking points without having to qualify her viewpoints. Unfortunately for Banwart, she lags far behind other Republican candidates, and is unlikely to have gained substantially within the Republican Party due to the town hall.
Dr. Watkins, a relative unknown still in his 30s, often seemed more interested in establishing a connection and name recognition with the students than advancing specific policy initiatives. Numerous times throughout his speaking windows, he spent time commenting on the attire of students in the audience, or cracking jokes, or asking questions of the audience. Given his recent decision to drop out of the Senate race, it makes sense that he may have been trying to build his political brand before setting his sights on a more attainable goal.
All in all, the town hall served mainly as a chance for Jackson to continue his practice of meeting and speaking with as many potential voters as possible in the state of North Carolina. Throughout the meeting, the specter of a future Republican challenger loomed over the Democratic candidates, and Jackson made a point of insisting that his strategy was the one that would win Democrats the North Carolina Senate seat. For various reasons, be it ideological differences, poor polling numbers, or inexperience, Jackson seemed to outshine the other candidates onstage and establish himself as a candidate with a real chance to win both the nomination and the seat itself.