For State Senate: Jerry Tillman

As of Saturday, April 21, 2012

In effect, whoever wins the May 8 Republican primary for the 29th N.C. Senate seat becomes Moore County’s next state senator, since no Democrats are running.

Three men, from widely varying backgrounds and offering different sets of qualifications, are vying for the nomination. On balance, we join retiring state Sen. Harris Blake, Moore County Sheriff Lane Carter and others in endorsing the candidacy of incumbent Sen. Jerry Tillman.

We take this position with mixed feelings, since a Tillman victory would mean Moore County would be without one of its own in the upper chamber of the General Assembly for the first time in 10 years.

But we and the voters must take into account that retaining the veteran Tillman in office will mean having our own guy in the higher levels of legislative leadership. The importance of that can hardly be overstated in this time of fiscal difficulty as the state grapples with numerous difficult decisions that can have big local effects.

Thrown Into a New District

A word of background is in order. Our county, like many others, has found itself in a new world as a result of the redistricting that the Republican-dominated legislature carried out in the wake of the federal census. Instead of being paired with Harnett County in the 22nd District, we have now landed in a restructured 29th, along with half of Randolph County.

Tillman, who formerly represented all of Randolph and part of Montgomery, has now added us to his reconfigured turf. He faces two Moore County opponents, John Marcum and Tommy Davis, both of whom are newcomers to state politics and, despite whatever other qualities they might offer, would take a long time to build up the kind of influence Tillman already enjoys in Raleigh.

The departing Sen. Blake is a courtly man who has achieved a degree of seniority in the Senate, but he has never been able to convert it into much in the way of power. Though state Rep. Jamie Boles is building his resume in the legislative halls, he needs more time. For better or worse, Moore lost a lot of clout with the defeat of controversial House Co-Speaker Richard Morgan (who is dipping his toes back into politics again this time around as a candidate for insurance commissioner).

Strongest Candidate for the Job

This is a Republican primary in a conservative district, so Tillman’s positions on the issues mostly line up in predictable ways. He generally favors the controversial gas-extraction process known as fracking, though with stringent safeguards. He says he will vote for the anti-gay-marriage Amendment One, though with certain reservations. He wants to lower the gasoline tax further, ease “job-killing” regulations and so forth.

At the same time, he doesn’t come across as a zealot on any of those issues, and he speaks with an admirable degree of candor, open-mindedness and obvious intelligence. A man with a master’s degree in educational administration and a successful career as a teacher, coach, principal and assistant superintendent behind him, he knows his way around a wide range of matters likely to come before the legislature.

All other things being equal, we would lean in the direction of a Moore County resident for this important job. But since all other things are not equal, we enthusiastically endorse Jerry Tillman.

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Bentpan 1 year ago

Too funny, ya'll down at The Pilot offices must have been tearing your hair out as you wrote this endorsement but you are exactly right Tillman is the best choice. It seems even our local Democrat leadership agrees, why else not to even make an attempt at the seat.

ztech 1 year ago

What a preposterous endorsement. Not a single word of comparative analysis with the other candidates. For shame. This continues a long tradition of Pilot endorsements that always favor the status quo. What about Tillman's limited qualifications, miserable record of senate accomplishments, lengthy list of campaign violations and astonishing record of influence peddling. Just as we need new leadership in Raleigh, we need new leadership on the Pilot's editorial page with the guts to be honest and fair.The only good aspect is that Pilot endorsements are frequently the kiss of death for their cronies.

ztech 1 year ago

Further to my earlier post, the Pilot errs in saying that Moore County has had its sitting senator for ten years. What is wrong with this editor? Time to put him out to pasture. Anyone with a memory would recall the Pilot's reporting on Harris' predecessor, Teena Little, in the 90's. Also your effort to sanitize his position on the gas tax won't wash. He apologized publically in two recent candidate meetings for having allowed a four cent per gallon gasoline tax increase in January. The House had passed a bill which would have capped the tax and Tillman went along with other senators in voting to adjourn without passing the House bill. Why should we believe him now?

PBinNC 1 year ago

Hard to do a "comparative" analysis with the other candidates as they only have what they think on their qualifications, and what they would hope to do. At least Tillman has a record, and when he says what he hopes to do, why would you not believe him but believe others. I think in elections these days you are left with the lesser of all evils, as politicians, no matter which side, seem to do for themselves once in office. The two endorsements you cited actually would turn me off if I thought there were a better choice. I particularly enjoyed your description of the retiring state Senator!

Bflat 1 year ago

On the same day that the Pilot published online that Tillman violated campaign laws/rules for placing signs too early and that Tillman has a record of violations, here is an endorsement. Seriously? If Tillman violates during a campaign, what other things does he do wrong? For one, he has the backing of the political machine of Art Pope and the Civitas group (the Pope family organization). That should be reason enough NOT to endorse him and NOT to vote for him. Also he has 6 terms in office and that is too long...just raising the gas tax is enough reason NOT to vote for him. Are we not tired of the same ole, same ole stuff with career politicians?

Marcum ran for Mayor of Pinehurst 2x and lost. He cites most of his business experience was overseas in Europe.

A candidate born & raised in Moore County to vote for that will serve Moore County very well: Tutors Engligh and Math at Sandhills in Project Promise, Animal Advocate supporting legislation of dog breeding (Puppy Mill Bill), Educated at UNC Pembroke Bachelor Interdisciplinary Studies, Profit & Not Profit Organizations Tract, Applied 2012 for Master of Public Administration, has 2 Associate Applied Science in Human Services and General Education, Mason and 32nd degree York Rite Shriner, former Residential builder and designer for 30 yrs to 2011, Deptuty Sheriff under Wimberly, and Shift Sgt at Pinehurst PD under Jim Wise (10 yrs of service), 7yrs as Program Director of Child Support Title IV-D in Moore County, believes in term limits for all politicians, is against fracking, and believes the gas tax should be lowered, member of and active in his church, He is an investigative as well as a technical professional writer. Vote for the candidate that has real experience in the communities . VOTE FOR Tommy Davis.

cmptrepair 1 year ago

typical career politician. violations of state laws with fines will be paid for by Art Pope. Art Pope is the one who is being elected. he owns the general assembly and their votes. tillman is a career politican who works the mindless. he knew that the 4 cent tax was being implemented from a 1995 bill. acting dumb is no excuse for not acting on the tax that all the repubs has signed a committment not to raise taxes. did he lie again about raising taxes.

tommy davis is knowledgeable and well educated. he has written about his views and opinions for years here in moore county. he researches information for "facts" instead of best guess or pressure from others to vote or think one way or the other.

what happened to throwing out the career politicians? was that supposed to happen a few years ago, And here we are again having the pilot endorse a known violator of the law. no big deal. he's jerry tillman. good luck for the fracking people opposed to contaminating of our aquifers and animal lovers.

according to tommy davis senate page on facebook, the pilot published an article in 2003 about the unknown dangers of fracking. now they support fracking. as the wind blows and the branches break, once that genie is out of the bottle, all the writing at the pilot can't put contaminated water back in teh aquifer as clean fresh water. vote for tommy davis who is knowledgeable and has research ability. to examine bills and weigh the proposal against what the people he represents wants, not what art pope wants.