Politics

Conservation League endorses McGrady, sits out Apodaca race

By Bill Moss, Published: August 25, 2014

RALEIGH — The North Carolina League of Conservation Voters has endorsed state Rep. Chuck McGrady and made no call in races involving state Sen. Tom Apodaca, R-Hendersonville, and Rep. Chris Whitmire, R-Brevard.

The conservation league announced the endorsements on Monday of 14 candidates (six incumbents and eight challengers) for state Senate and 21 candidates (11 incumbents and 10 challengers) for state House.

The organization said in a news release that the 2013-2014 General Assembly "passed a succession of bills weakening protections for clean air, water, and land; cutting funding for environmental enforcement and for conservation trust funds; fast-tracking the environmentally hazardous drilling method of fracking; and failing to require full cleanup of dangerous coal ash pits."

McGrady, a Republican who was national president of the Sierra Club, faces Libertarian Shelby Mood in the general election. Apodaca faces Democrat Rick Wood and Whitmire is opposed by Democratic nominee Norm Bossert. In other area races, the conservation league endorsed three Democrats in Buncombe County: John Ager over Rep. Nathan Ramsey, Brian Turner over Rep. Tim Moffitt and newly appointed Sen. Terry Van Duyn over Republican nominee Mark Crawford.

NC Senate races:

District 1 – Stan White; Beaufort, Camden, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Hyde, Pasquotank, Perquimans

District 4 – Sen. Angela Bryant; Halifax, Nash, Vance, Warren, Wilson
District 8 – Ernie Ward; Bladen, Brunswick, New Hanover, Pender
District 9 – Elizabeth Redenbaugh; New Hanover
District 13 – Jane Smith; Columbus, Robeson
District 15 – Tom Bradshaw; Wake
District 16 – Sen. Josh Stein; Wake
District 18 – Sarah Crawford; Franklin, Wake
District 19 – Billy Richardson; Cumberland
District 22 – Sen. Mike Woodard; Caswell, Durham, Person
District 23 – Sen. Valerie Foushee; Chatham, Orange
District 25 – Sen. Gene McLaurin; Anson, Richmond, Rowan, Scotland, Stanly
District 40 – Joyce Waddell; Mecklenburg
District 49 – Sen. Terry Van Duyn; Buncombe

NC State House races:

District 5 – Howard Hunter III; Bertie, Gates, Hertford, Pasquotank
District 9 – Uriah Ward; Pitt
District 11 – Rep. Duane Hall; Wake
District 31 – Rep. Mickey Michaux, Jr.; Durham
District 33 – Rep. Rosa Gill; Wake
District 38 – Rep. Yvonne Lewis Holley; Wake
District 40 – Margaret Broadwell; Wake
District 44 – Rep. Rick Glazier; Cumberland
District 49 – Kim Hanchette; Wake
District 50 – Rep. Graig Meyer; Durham, Orange
District 53 – Susan Byerly; Harnett
District 56 – Rep. Verla Insko; Orange
District 60 – Cecil Brockman; Guilford
District 71 – Rep. Evelyn Terry; Forsyth
District 93 – Sue Counts; Ashe, Watauga
District 106 – Rep. Carla Cunningham; Mecklenburg
District 115 – John Ager; Buncombe
District 116 – Brian Turner; Buncombe
District 117 – Rep. Chuck McGrady; Henderson
District 118 – Dean Hicks; Haywood, Madison, Yancey
District 119 – Rep. Joe Sam Queen; Haywood, Jackson, Swain