Statewide races

I think i voted for three winners in the statewide races yesterday, Janet Cowell for Treasurer, Wayne Goodwin for Insurance Commissioner, and Beth Wood for Auditor. that's better than my usual average, but these are probably the three least political positions in the Council of State, and i guess it's nice to know that i'm somewhat further to the left than most of the NC Democratic party.

I'll have no trouble supporting any of the statewide candidates except for Walter Dalton, who's just a little too DLC for my taste. I'll vote for him and work for him, but i don't see him advancing anything resembling a progressive agenda in the Lt. Governor's position. I do feel a little bad about not casting a strategic vote for Hampton Dellinger in the race, but i liked Dan Besse as a candidate better. I wonder if the NC ballot laws can be changed so that a 40% plurality is no longer enough when you have multiple candidates? The three progressive candidates combined outpolled Dalton by about 52 - 48%, and i'll bet in a head-to-head, Dellinger would beat him. I think something similar happened back in 2002, when Dan Blue and Elaine Marshal together outpolled Erskine Bowles by about 58 - 42%, but Bowles won the nomination, and proceeded to give Liddy dole a Senate seat.

Anyway, water under the bridge, but something to keep in the back of the mind maybe.

One other quick note. I have no idea really, how good an Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin will be if elected. However, if you've ever heard him speak, you know that he's going to end up holding some higher elected office. The man is dynamite in front of a crowd. he actually gets you believing that the office of Insurance Commissioner is the most important thing ever while he's talking about it. Don't miss him if he campaigns near you.