Morse: The Accidental Candidate —Cagle
August 2008
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BITS AND PIECES
AS THE countdown to fall elections begins, we present to you the curious case of one Stan Morse, recruiter and consultant to the printing industry. His Twin Oaks Team operates out of Raleigh, NC.
Morse is also the Democratic challenger to incumbent Marilyn Avila for the North Carolina state legislature in District 40. Nothing strange about that, obviously. The fascinating part is Morse’s journey to the District 40 House of Representatives race; one that really shouldn’t include him. But sometimes fate takes hold of the wheel for an unexpected ride. Now, Morse is enjoying it.
It all began earlier this year when Morse feared that Avila, the first-term Republican, would run unopposed in the fall. So he decided to do his party a favor and enter the election fray. What Morse didn’t know was that fellow Dem Sam Brewer had also thrown his hat into the race, which resulted in a primary match up.
No big deal, Morse thought; he’ll just endorse—and campaign for—Brewer. He submitted a concession speech the day before the primary and even camped outside a polling place, asking people to vote for Brewer. As fate would have it, Morse cruised to victory by about a 10-point margin and will square off against Avila in November.
“Let’s face it, I’m an amateur,” Morse—who pondered not running against Avila before acknowledging the primary win—told the News & Observer. “But the voters of the 40th district should have a true representative, not one who is bought and paid for by one giant special interest group. My campaign will show that big money will not keep informed voters from seeing the truth.”
Morse doesn’t intend to accept endorsements or campaign contributions from PACs or special interest groups, according to the newspaper. He plans to print up his own signs on an antique press. His consumables will be recycled placards and discontinued inks.
While fate seems to be steering Morse toward the state house, the odds are stacked against him. District 40 has a distinct Republican flavor, and Avila will likely exploit his lack of experience and question his commitment after Morse seemingly quit prior to primary election day.
One thing’s for sure: I wouldn’t want to bet against a candidate who essentially campaigned against himself. Stay tuned.
MISSED A SPOT: Occasionally, we’ll write on a subject and overlook a qualified interviewee. Well, maybe other writers miss stuff. Speaking for myself, I tend to be flawless. Why just the other day, my wife uttered, “Must be a terrible burden to be right all the time.” Or something along those lines. Yes dear, there are those of us who must shepherd the unaware.
AS THE countdown to fall elections begins, we present to you the curious case of one Stan Morse, recruiter and consultant to the printing industry. His Twin Oaks Team operates out of Raleigh, NC.
Morse is also the Democratic challenger to incumbent Marilyn Avila for the North Carolina state legislature in District 40. Nothing strange about that, obviously. The fascinating part is Morse’s journey to the District 40 House of Representatives race; one that really shouldn’t include him. But sometimes fate takes hold of the wheel for an unexpected ride. Now, Morse is enjoying it.
It all began earlier this year when Morse feared that Avila, the first-term Republican, would run unopposed in the fall. So he decided to do his party a favor and enter the election fray. What Morse didn’t know was that fellow Dem Sam Brewer had also thrown his hat into the race, which resulted in a primary match up.
No big deal, Morse thought; he’ll just endorse—and campaign for—Brewer. He submitted a concession speech the day before the primary and even camped outside a polling place, asking people to vote for Brewer. As fate would have it, Morse cruised to victory by about a 10-point margin and will square off against Avila in November.
“Let’s face it, I’m an amateur,” Morse—who pondered not running against Avila before acknowledging the primary win—told the News & Observer. “But the voters of the 40th district should have a true representative, not one who is bought and paid for by one giant special interest group. My campaign will show that big money will not keep informed voters from seeing the truth.”
Morse doesn’t intend to accept endorsements or campaign contributions from PACs or special interest groups, according to the newspaper. He plans to print up his own signs on an antique press. His consumables will be recycled placards and discontinued inks.
While fate seems to be steering Morse toward the state house, the odds are stacked against him. District 40 has a distinct Republican flavor, and Avila will likely exploit his lack of experience and question his commitment after Morse seemingly quit prior to primary election day.
One thing’s for sure: I wouldn’t want to bet against a candidate who essentially campaigned against himself. Stay tuned.
MISSED A SPOT: Occasionally, we’ll write on a subject and overlook a qualified interviewee. Well, maybe other writers miss stuff. Speaking for myself, I tend to be flawless. Why just the other day, my wife uttered, “Must be a terrible burden to be right all the time.” Or something along those lines. Yes dear, there are those of us who must shepherd the unaware.
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