NC House Republicans seek to make more elections partisan

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RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Races for North Carolina appellate court judgeships and nearly all local school boards would become partisan under legislation written by Republicans and approved late Tuesday by a state House committee.

GOP lawmakers sponsoring the two pieces of legislation argued successfully that moving away from nonpartisan races would give voters more information about candidates and boost turnout. But Democrats on the House Elections Committee said potential judges and school board members should separate themselves from partisanship for the sake of sound justice and public education.

"I think the party labels will give them a better idea of who to vote for" on judicial races, said Rep. Frank Iler, R-Brunswick, a primary sponsor of the appellate court measure. The change would apply to seats on the seven-member state Supreme Court and 15-member Court of Appeals beginning with next year's races.

The political parties already are promoting slates of candidates to voters, even if they aren't designated on ballots as a Democrat or a Republican, supporters of the bills said.

"The electorate needs to know who they're voting for, philosophically," said Rep. George Cleveland, R-Onslow, a chief sponsor of the measure that would force all county and elected city boards of education to hold partisan elections starting in 2016 or 2017. He said the change "will bring more competition" to board of education members.

Democrats complained education policy is carried out best when it is done out from under the shadow of party politics.

"In educating our children, there is no place for partisanship," said Rep. Pricey Harrison, D-Guilford. The bill also reinforced Democratic arguments that Republicans continue to interfere in local matters.

Only 17 of North Carolina's 115 local school boards are now elected in partisan races, with members of three city education boards appointed by city councils, according to the North Carolina School Boards Association, which opposes the measure. Each school system should be able to decide how its leaders are elected, association lobbyist Leanne Winner said after the committee meeting.

A few Republicans on the panel agreed. "I feel like that this is an overreach," said Rep. Harry Warren, R-Rowan. But he later said he would vote for the bill with reservations. The measure was approved on a voice vote.

Republicans have talked about returning appellate court races to officially partisan affairs since Democrats previously in charge of the legislature passed a law changing them to nonpartisan starting in 2004. Voters also would elect primary nominees by party, too. Now nonpartisan primaries are held to whittle three or more candidates for a single judicial seat down to two.

Rep. Mickey Michaux, D-Durham, said people before appellate courts don't want to have their cases heard by judges who could be perceived as having some kind of partisan interest.

The judicial bill passed on a party-line vote of 17-11. Rep. David Lewis, R-Harnett, the committee's co-chairman, said he anticipated the bills would reach the House floor later in the week.