Bill James Faces Showdown At Suburban Political Corral
It’s been almost two decades since Bill James took a seat on the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners, representing the heavily suburban, southern swath District 6 of the county, and nearly as long since the oft-outspoken and controversial Republican has faced a legitimate challenger at the ballot box.
This year is looking to prove an exception and James is already mounting a campaign offensive even though his likely opponent, Edmund Driggs, has yet to officially announce his candidacy.
The first salvo from James was launched this week, with an email flier that took aim at Driggs’ voting record, questioned his Republican and conservative bona fides, and hit potential campaign supporters up for some loot:
In December I learned about a new candidate that was also going to run for the Republican nomination. While competition is a good thing, upon review of his non-existent primary voting record, it seemed clear to me that any individual who declines to vote in his party’s primaries for the 10 years he has been in Charlotte isn’t really a Republican. District 6 needs someone who will stand with them in the Republican Primary voting booth as well as on taxes, immigration and other matters. It is disrespectful to rank and file GOP voters and our candidates to ignore the ballot box while the rest of us stand facing the elements to exercise our right to vote.
I don’t believe in raising funds unless they are needed for campaign purposes. For that reason, I have not sent out requests over the last few years but now that I know that this individual is running, I too must start the process of raising funds to keep District 6 in conservative hands. Times are hard but we will use your money wisely.
Driggs, a resident of south Mecklenburg for the last 10 years, didn’t cast a ballot in several GOP primary elections stretching back to 2004, including last year’s city council District 7 (southeast Charlotte) race, the board of commissioners at-large primary in 2010, and the GOP mayoral and city council primaries in 2009. Records show Driggs also did not vote in the 2009 general election, which featured a slew of high profile races on the ballot: the mayoral tilt between Anthony Foxx and John Lassiter, a full slate of city council races, and district races for school board.
“I have no problem with competition, but the fact remains that he is no Republican,” James said. “While the rest of us were standing in the rain or sun (to vote), he was AWOL.”
Driggs declined to comment on the specifics of his voting history until he formally announces his candidacy, which he said should be within the next few weeks. Filing for elected office begins Feb. 13.
“I hope when that time comes, [James] has more important issues to discuss than the ones he raised in his newsletter,” Driggs said. “I’m disappointed, but not surprised, that he’s already taking the debate in this direction.”
But it’s not the only direction James is apparently headed. The eight-term incumbent also blasted Driggs’ history of lobbying the county several years ago for funding bumps for the local PBS station, WTVI, when he served as chairman of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public Broadcasting Authority.
Driggs, who currently serves as a board member of the Association of Public Television Stations, declined to comment on previous fundraising endeavors for the local station. An email he sent commissioners in 2007, however, shows he requested nearly $400,000 in supplemental funding for WTVI, over what the county manager had recommended.
“The only reason he’s running is because he’s mad about the county defunding the station,” James said. “His voting record says a lot about his political values. A guy with that little commitment is not the guy to represent the most conservative district in Mecklenburg, much less being an advocate for PBS taxpayer funds from the county.”
Driggs took exception to James’ characterization of his commitment to the conservative cause, and said that type of overreaching rhetoric is a major problem with the incumbent commissioner. Driggs said that as a member of the board of directors for Communities in Schools and as an advisory board member for Central Piedmont Community College, he has worked to find savings and cost efficiencies in local government spending.
“I hope to be a better advocate for the conservative point of view,” Driggs said. “District 6 is a safe seat [for Republicans] and we need to use it more effectively to promote the conservative message.”
James has frequently come under fire for using controversial and inflammatory language, which even some of his supporters have conceded weakens his message while drawing attention away from the issues he’s trying to address.
“I’m mainly concerned with effective government,” said Driggs, a former equity analyst for health care services with Goldman Sachs. “You don’t want to marginalize your effectiveness with your behavior.”
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