Kay Hagan won't run in 2016

Published June 24, 2015

[caption id="attachment_4873" align="alignleft" width="150"]Kay Hagan Kay Hagan[/caption]

by Emily Cahn and Niels Lesnlewski, Roll Call, June 23, 2015.

Former North Carolina Sen. Kay Hagan will not be mounting a challenge to her former GOP colleague, Sen. Richard M. Burr.

Hagan, who was defeated by Thom Tillis in 2014, has been making calls to inform donors she will not be running for the seat that comes up in 2016, two sources familiar with the calls told Roll Call.

While Hagan’s statewide name recognition and relatively strong performance in a year that saw Republicans sweep into the Senate majority would have made her a top challenger to Burr, a national Democratic strategist said there are plenty of Democrats who could win this seat, including Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, state Treasurer Janet Cowell, longtime University of North Carolina President Tom Ross, and State Senate Minority Whip Josh Stein.

Democrats will likely now work to convince Cowell to run. Cowell said no to a bid earlier this year, but Democrats say she would be a top candidate. They also believe Burr’s not that well known throughout the state and could prove vulnerable.

The strategist also mentioned former Rep. Heath Shuler, the Blue Dog Democrat also known for his unsuccessful tenure as a Washington Redskins quarterback. He retired in 2012, after three terms.

Democrats in the Tar Heel State had already been thinking about contingency plans in case Hagan declined to run. The North Carolina Senate seat on the ballot in 2016 is rated Leans Republican by the Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report/Roll Call.

http://atr.rollcall.com/kay-hagan-wont-challenge-richard-burr-2016/

June 24, 2015 at 10:24 am
Norm Kelly says:

Every once in a while good news does come from the Demon party! So glad to hear that K won't be running. After all, it's important to remember how strongly she supported socialized medicine, how she participated in the lie to her constituents. K was one of those calling for more honesty, truth with voters when she asked that the name of the plan be changed to reflect it's true nature. K wanted to call it a single payer plan and expand it's grasp on the throats of Americans.

She espoused her socialist 'leanings' often, she went along with the lies about keeping our doctors, keeping our hospital of choice, and even keeping our existing insurance plans if we liked them. She probably also knew that the plan would cover illegal aliens. She probably also knew that the plan included 'death panels'. But, then again, since virtually no one who voted FOR implementing phase 1 of socialized medicine actually READ the bill, it is possible that she didn't know all this as I claim. But then shouldn't she have read it BEFORE she voted for it? Or is it better for our representatives to tell us that 'we need to pass it to know what's in it'?

K may have better name recognition across the state than virtually any other demon candidate, and she may also have better name recognition than Richard, but her preference for central planner control of daily life is also very well known. She would have to defend her stand on socialized medicine, expanded central planner interference in daily life, and outrageous deficit spending which she was a part of a proponent of and explain if she would continue to be a proponent of deficit spending in favor of stimulating the economy by paying unemployment benefits. (how's that for a run on sentence?!) Her need to defend the indefensible would have been a major drag on her campaign. Which may have been a good thing for Richard.

The downside to this good news about K is that whoever runs on the demon ticket may not have name recognition, and their socialist tendencies may not be known either. Which could work in favor of the demon pol. Cuz we all know media-type allies will do everything they can to bolster the demon pol, the N&D will do an expose on the incredible qualifications of the demon pol, and we'll hear nothing about the skeletons in their closet. On the other hand, we will hear nothing good about Richard from media-type allies of the demon party. Which includes way too many media types across our state. Well beyond the N&D but they are the most obvious allies of the socialists! And the most consistent and constant supporters of their allies. As well as the least likely to say anything positive, truthful, kind about a Republican candidate. The N&D has proven that when they don't feel comfortable endorsing a demon pol, they don't endorse any candidate for that office. For the N&D, as well as other media outlets, it's either the socialist candidate or no one!