A presidential player
Published July 28, 2015
Editorial by Greensboro News-Record, July 28, 2015.
The Donald Trump presidential campaign circus is coming to North Carolina, sooner than you think.
So are the Bush and Clinton political dynasty extravaganzas, Jeb and Hillary editions.
North Carolina will hold its 2016 presidential primaries on March 15, seven weeks earlier than the traditional date in May.
A long line of hopefuls could beat a path to the Tar Heel State if the races for the Republican and Democratic nominations are still unsettled. And the earlier on the primary calendar, the more unsettled the contests are likely to be. The Republican field is so scrambled right now that billionaire showman Trump is leading many polls.
For a state of North Carolina’s size — ninth in the nation in population — watching small states such as Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina play overly large roles in selecting the nominees is grating. Voters here should have a greater voice.
It also might help the economy if big-spending campaigns visit more often to woo the electorate. Barbecue sales alone could amount to millions.
Yet the shift won’t necessarily be a winner for taxpayers. An additional statewide primary will be expensive. Guilford County alone has budgeted $600,000 more, according to elections director Charlie Collicutt.
“I don’t know if it will cost that much but that’s what we budgeted,” he said.
The statewide cost is estimated at $9.5 million. But the legislature isn’t offering state money to help. The early primary is an unfunded mandate from the legislature to the counties. While the Triad and other large media markets might see enough presidential campaign activity to earn back some of that money, many smaller and more isolated counties will never see a presidential candidate. For them, holding a separate primary is a financial loser.
The regular primary will be May 3. On the ballot then will be races for school boards, county offices, the legislature, governor, other state posts, U.S. House offices and possibly the U.S. Senate seat held by Richard Burr.
Election officials will barely be done counting the votes from March 15 when they’ll have to mail out overseas absentee ballots in advance of May 3. If a second primary is needed, it will be held June 21 or July 12, depending on whether any runoffs for federal offices are required.
This will add up to a lot of voting. After trotting to the polls to support Trump, Bush, Cruz, Rubio, Paul, Kasich, Graham, Fiorina, Pataki, Santorum, Perry, Huckabee, Carson, Walker, Jindal, Christie or Gilmore on the Republican side — did we miss any? — or Clinton, Sanders, Webb, Chafee or O’Malley on the Democratic slate, voters may have exhausted their energy and interest.
What would be wrong if the presidential primary were held in May, as was done in the past? The later date was an advantage in 2008, when the Democratic race was still undecided. Barack Obama and Clinton contested the state fiercely, and Obama’s win was a big step on his way to the nomination.
But, North Carolina will go earlier in 2016. Let’s hope what we gain is worth what it costs.
