Ken Lewis officially endorsed the candidacy of NC Secretary of State Elaine Marshall in the runoff election between Marshall and Cal Cunningham during a press conference in Raleigh this morning.
"I respect all the candidates that ran, but, after it all, I'm supporting Elaine Marshall because I believe she can beat Richard Burr, and because I know she'll be a real fighter for North Carolinians in the Senate," Lewis stated in a press release. "I've seen her in action first hand, and I look forward to seeing her retire Burr."
Marshall defeated Cunningham by 9 percentage points during the May 4 Democratic primary for the US Senate seat currently held by Republican Richard Burr, but failed to win 40 percent of the vote, thereby forcing a runoff election on June 22. Lewis garnered 17 percent of the ballots cast in the May 4 primary, so his endorsement could prove pivotal to Marshall's chances in the runoff election.
"Elaine's work as Secretary of State and her historic electoral victories make her the strongest candidate in this run-off and in the general election," Lewis said. "On the campaign trail she is tough, smart, and one of the hardest working candidates I've ever seen."
Marshall holds the distinction of being the first woman elected to executive office in North Carolina. In 1997, Marshall, 64, defeated NASCAR legend Richard Petty in her bid for Secretary of State.
Cunningham, 36, a former state Senator and an Army prosecutor in Iraq, garnered 27 percent of the vote in the May 4 primary but appears to have closed the gap among the state's voters in the past two weeks.
A survey released March 12 by Public Policy Polling revealed that Marshall and Cunningham are in a dead heat with each candidate receiving support from 36 percent of the survey's respondents.
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