This post was submitted by Sophie Shulman, WCF Communications Fellow
Tomorrow, thousands of North Carolinians will cast their vote in the Democratic run-off for Senate.
Although turnout is expected to be low, this is an extremely important race to decide who will face Senator Richard Burr in November.
The race has been heating up between Secretary of State Elaine Marshall and former State Senator Cal Cunningham. Cunningham was handpicked by the Democratic establishment to challenge Marshall, showing, yet again, how the establishment often rejects qualified women candidates. Indeed, Democrats in Washington justified their choice of Cunningham because:
Essentially, they preferred the image of a young, masculine candidate running against Burr, despite Marshall’s years of experience and deep relationship with North Carolinians. Marshall has been re-elected four times as Secretary of State, and, in that role, has fought for the issues that matter to her constituents.
But this hasn’t kept Cunningham from attacking her on every front—including her gender. At a recent campaign rally, the Cunningham camp posted a less-than-flattering picture of Marshall. Considering that women are judged far more harshly based on their appearance than men, this was a repugnant tactic—especially coming from a fellow Democrat. Even former Senator Robert Morgan was offended:
I’ve never seen a Democrat use that kind of photo… What would he do if he had to come back and ask for our support?
Washington’s rejection of Marshall is especially hard to understand in the light of recent polls. After defeating Cunningham in the primary, Marshall received several key endorsements, including one from the third candidate in the race, Ken Lewis.
Marshall has also had a consistent lead over Cunningham in polls against Burr. Although either candidate will face a tough fight against the incumbent Senator in the fall, it seems North Carolina Democrats have already decided that Marshall is the best choice. According to Public Policy Polling (PPP):
The big picture on this race stays the same, Burr is unpopular but his opponents aren’t well known enough yet to fully capitalize on his vulnerability.
However, Marshall is known throughout the state as a long-time office holder, and all she needs now is the support of her Party and women all over the country. That’s why WCF is on the ground with the Marshall campaign, fighting yet again to make sure the right candidate goes onto the General in November.
Marshall has a strong record in North Carolina and will be an invaluable member of the U.S. Senate. Let’s hope that tomorrow will be another victory for women discarded by the Washington establishment!
