How we see NC Senate primaries

Only two Mecklenburg Senate districts have primaries this year. In Senate District 38, three Democrats are challenging incumbent Sen. Joel Ford. In Senate District 39 in south Charlotte, incumbent Dan Bishop has a Republican challenger and two Democratic ones. Here's our take on those primaries.

District 38

Voters in this Democratic primary face a strategic question: What's the best way to battle a Republican supermajority in Raleigh?

Incumbent and moderate Joel Ford believes it's by compromising when possible to get the most you can out of GOP lawmakers. He's running against three fellow Democrats in this district north and west of uptown — assistant public defender Mujtaba Mohammed, systems engineer Tim Wallas, and perennial candidate Roderick Davis. The winner will face Republican Richard Rivette, who is running unopposed in his primary.

The editorial board has welcomed Ford's independent streak in the past, and he says his willingness to work with Republicans has helped him get budget concessions and better committee assignments, all of which help his constituents. But some Mecklenburg Democrats say that Ford too often strays from Democratic values. In particular, Mohammed is critical of Ford's recent vote for the Republican budget.

Of the challengers, Mohammed is a sharp young voice — sometimes a little too sharp — for Democrats who believes a better path for his party is to hold true to progressive principles and eventually gain a Senate majority.

Although Mohammed will be ineffective for his constituents if he simply shouts from the left, we think Ford has become a little too unpredictable for Democrats. Should the party put a dent in the GOP supermajority this fall, Mohammed would be a more reliable vote against Republican attempts to override vetoes from Gov. Roy Cooper. We recommend Mohammed.

District 39

Sen. Dan Bishop, best known as the primary sponsor of the controversial HB2 legislation, faces a Republican primary challenge. Two Democrats also battle in a primary in this district that covers most of south Charlotte.

Bishop has hurt Mecklenburg and the state with his policies, and three strong candidates seek his seat. His primary challenger is Beth Monaghan, a CPA and former business owner making her first run for public office. The mother of a gay son, she was motivated in large part by Bishop’s backing of the discriminatory HB2.

She accurately portrays herself as the moderate in the race, and she will test whether moderate Republicans can win in a conservative district’s primary. We endorse her not only because she is a more centrist choice than Bishop but also because of her support for investments in education and transportation and her opposition to gerrymandering.

The Democratic side features two capable candidates in Chad Stachowicz and Ann Harlan. We give the nod to Stachowicz, who is more moderate and would have a better chance in November than the more liberal Harlan.

Stachowicz, 33, owns a $2 million technology firm that he has built from scratch. A self-described “social progressive,” he too says he was motivated to run by Bishop’s leadership on HB2. Yet he calls himself a moderate who as a successful small business owner is “fiscally aware.” He was a Republican until January 2017 but has won the endorsements of many more liberal groups.

Harlan, 59, has been a social worker who teaches sociology at Central Piedmont Community College. She was motivated to run while attending the Women’s March in Washington in January.

This story was originally published April 27, 2018 at 5:04 PM with the headline "How we see NC Senate primaries."