Cal Cunningham, Ken Lewis and NC Secretary of State Elaine Marshall — three leading Democratic candidates looking to unseat Republican Senator Richard Burr this fall — have all won major endorsements this week.
Ken Lewis, a Chapel Hill lawyer, announced on Monday that Harvey Gantt had endorsed his candidacy. In the 1990s, Gantt, a former mayor of Charlotte, waged two unsuccessful campaigns against Republican stalwart Jesse Helms. Gantt was the last African American to win the Democratic nomination. If elected, Lewis would become the first African American to represent the state in the US Senate.
“Since I first met Ken I’ve known he has the heart to fight for those whose voices are too often not heard in Washington and the intellect to make a difference,” Gantt said in a statement. “Ken understands that the role of the US Senate is to promote the long-term, common interest of the people. I am convinced that Ken Lewis has the necessary skills, passion, and determination to champion these interests in the U.S. Senate.”
Gantt said the key to unseating an incumbent Senator is building a campaign that attracts political and financial support and inspires grassroots activism.
“ Today, Ken Lewis has proven that he can mount such a campaign and finish the job we started two decades ago,” Gantt said.
Lewis has also won the endorsements of a number of state political figures, including Congressmen Mel Watt and G.K Butterfield; Durham Mayor Bill Bell, former Durham Mayor and State Senator Wib Gulley, and former Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy.
Marshall, the first woman elected to executive office in North Carolina, announced Monday that Durham businessman Maceo Sloan and the Durham’s People’s Alliance have endorsed her candidacy.
“For years, Secretary Marshall has demonstrated leadership and progressive values,” said Alliance member Milo Pyne in a statement. “We believe she is the best candidate to appeal to both urban and rural voters and the strongest candidate to take on Richard Burr in November.”
Cal Cunningham, a former judge advocate general in the US Army Reserves, received the endorsement of retired four-star Army Gen. Wesley Clark on Monday. Clark, a presidential candidate in 2004, stated in a letter that Cunningham is “beyond a doubt the best candidate” to challenge Burr. Clark added that Cunningham’s time in the military would help him bring “a veteran's unique perspective to policy making in Washington,” according to a press release.
Cunningham, who won the Bronze Star for his service during Operation Iraqi Freedom, said he was “humbled” to receive Clark’s endorsement.
Clark served as the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe for NATO from 1997 to 2000.
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