News

Hagan rallies supporters to get out the vote

U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan urges supporters to turn out the vote during a campaign stop in Hendersonville on Tuesday.

By Bill Moss, Published: October 28, 2014

U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan exhorted supporters to get out and vote, "take three people with you," to help her win re-election in a tough campaign against challenger Thom Tillis, the Republican state House speaker.

"Tell them that this state is not for sale," she said of big-money PAC contributions that have stocked Tillis's war chest in one of the most expensive U.S. Senate races — on both sides — in U.S. history. "You heard the mayor say we're seven days out. We've got to get to the polls. I ask you to take your neighbor... We've got a great voter turnout going across the state. Thousands of people are knocking on doors, making phone calls and getting people to the polls. The polls are open. Let's go together and get an incredible turnout."

Hewing to campaign themes of women's issues such as equal pay and attacking Tillis for education cuts, refusing to expand Medicaid and killing film industry inventives, Hagan said she is the one who stands for middle-class families.

"In our state we have a saying. It's the land of the longleaf pine," she said, "where the weak grow strong and the strong grow great. That's what this election is about. We've got to have the opportunity to grow strong and grow great, and that's not Speaker Tillis. That's me."

It appeared that close to 200 people had overflowed the small house on Greenville Highway that serves as Democratic Party headquarters. A man chased would-be parkers out of the South Rock bar parking lot. The old Food Lion parking lot was nearly full.

Mayor Barbara Volk introduced Hagan, ticking off a list of reasons to support the first-term Democrat over Tillis.