Charlotte Observer endorsements: Our choices for NC House

Mecklenburg’s N.C. House races will be critical in determining whether Republicans can hold on to a majority in November. Here are the Observer editorial board’s recommendations in contested races:

HOUSE DISTRICT 88: Democrat Mary Belk is trying for a third term in the House in this district west of uptown that now includes some of South End and Southpark. Belk is opposed by Republican and Air Force veteran David Tondreau. Belk continues to be a pragmatic and hard-working lawmaker for her progressive district, and she’s quickly becoming a leader in the Democratic caucus. We recommend her for another term.

HOUSE 92: Democrat and Charlotte attorney Terry Brown is facing Republican Jerry Munden in this race to replace Chaz Beasley, who ran for lieutenant governor. Brown, the son of public school educators, is thoughtful, progressive and shows a clear grasp of issues facing his blue west Mecklenburg district. He’s the clear choice.

HOUSE 98: In a rematch from 2018, incumbent Democrat Christy Clark faces Republican businessman John Bradford in this competitive north Mecklenburg district.

Bradford is a solid but reasonable Republican, one who voted for the discriminatory HB2 but also was a factor in its compromise repeal. Clark has worked on building relationships across the aisle and has shown she’s willing to represent all of her district, not just progressives. Both are smart lawmakers. We give the slight nod to Clark, who would flourish in a Democratic majority.

HOUSE 99: First-term incumbent Nasif Majeed is a good legislative fit for his east Mecklenburg district that now includes Mint Hill. The former Charlotte City Council member, who is running against Republican Russell Rowe, has long been active in his community. He’s now an advocate for hate-crime legislation and paid medical leave. Majeed deserves another term.

HOUSE 100: Democrat John Autry is trying for a third-term in this district anchored in east Charlotte. He’s running against Kalle Thompson, a childbirth educator and solid conservative who says she supports opportunity scholarships and would oppose legislation that would infringe on the Second Amendment. Thompson also is a supporter of the medical freedom movement, which opposes requiring vaccinations for students.

Autry is a reliable Democrat in a blue district. He’s an advocate for more aggressive climate change policy and innovative approaches to police funding. We recommend him for another term.

HOUSE 101: First-term incumbent Carolyn Logan is a strong representative of this northwest Charlotte district. She again faces Steve Mauney, a 30-year paramedic who wants to bring attention to EMS issues. Logan won handily in 2018, and we recommend her again.

HOUSE 102: Nine-term incumbent Democrat Becky Carney continues to be well respected by members of both parties in Raleigh. She faces Kyle Kirby, a thoughtful conservative with a progressive streak on issues such as teacher pay and racial justice. We recommend Carney, but we hope Kirby remains active in his party and the community.

HOUSE 103: A rematch of a very close 2018 race pits incumbent Democrat Rachel Hunt against former Rep. Bill Brawley. It’s a classic liberal vs. conservative matchup, with candidates who contrast most sharply on education. Hunt is a fierce public schools supporter who wants more aggressive raises for teachers. Brawley was the architect of a bill that would allow four Mecklenburg towns to own and operate charter schools. Brawley says he crafted that bill because Matthews town leaders wanted it, but he has long had an adversarial relationship with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.

Both candidates have been strong advocates for the district, which now leans slightly Democratic. We give the nod to Hunt.

HOUSE 104: First-term incumbent Democrat Brandon Lofton faces a strong challenge from businessman Don Pomeroy in a very competitive south Mecklenburg district. Pomeroy says the economy is his No. 1 focus, and he wants to pay particular attention to measures that benefit small and mid-sized businsses. Lofton is a perceptive lawmaker who has worked hard to craft bills with support from across the aisle. That relationship-building would serve his district well regardless of which party has the majority.

There are no bad choices in this race. Pomeroy would be a resourceful and analytical lawmaker, but Lofton has earned another term.

HOUSE 105: Voters have two young, smart candidates to choose from in this growing district on the south Mecklenburg border. Democrat and first-term incumbent Wesley Harris is the only Ph.D. economist in the legislature, and he has been a reliable vote in sustaining Gov. Roy Cooper’s vetoes of GOP bills. Republican Amy Bynum has an engineering background and works in the digital analytics field. She would be a measured lawmaker, one who is willing to explore new approaches to issues such as health care access. We don’t agree with her on some issues, but she would be a very capable representative for her district. We give a slight nod to Bynum.

HOUSE 107: Democratic incumbent Kelly Alexander has made the most of his more than six terms in the House, and if Democrats win the majority, he’ll likely have the opportunity to serve in a committee leadership role.

His opponent, businessman Richard Rivette, supports far-right thinking on voter fraud and COVID-19 on his website. We strongly recommend Alexander.

This story was originally published October 8, 2020 at 4:26 PM.