By Steve Huffman
shuffman@salisburypost.com
Gubernatorial candidate Bev Perdue was the star attraction at Tuesday’s gathering of Rowan County Democrats.
But she wasn’t the only politician on hand.
Several others addressed local voters at party headquarters on Innes Street.
Teresa Sue Bratton, who’s challenging long-time incumbent Rep. Howard Coble for his 6th District seat in Congress, also spoke, as did Bill Burnette, a candidate for the N.C. Senate.
Raymond Coltrain, candidate for Rowan County Board of Commissioners, also shared a few words.
“I’m in this to win, even though it’s a long shot,” Bratton, a Greensboro physician, said.
She said the groundswell of support for Barack Obama has motivated many to vote straight Democratic tickets, a block that she said will send numerous Democrats into office.
“I think we’re going to make history,” Bratton said.
State Rep. Lorene Coates introduced Burnette and said the support for his opponent, Andrew Brock, never ceases to amaze her.
“Andrew Brock has been in Raleigh six years, for three terms,” Coates said. “Do you know how many bills Andrew Brock has had passed?”
Then she paused for effect.
“Zero,” Coates said. “If you want a bill killed, give it to Andrew Brock.”
She said Stan Bingham, a Republican member of the General Assembly from Davidson County, told her that if she wanted a bill to pass the N.C. Senate, to bring it to him but warned her to keep it away from Brock.
“He almost got the Yadkin River bridge bill killed,” Coates said of Brock.
Burnette said he considered this year’s election among the most important of his lifetime.
“If you send me to Raleigh, you’re going to get good representation,” promised Burnette, a Davie County businessman. “I’m going to create jobs for this district.”
Coates noted that when Coltrain ran for the Board of Commissioners in 2006, he lost by only 135 votes.
“Do you know why?” Coates said of Coltrain’s defeat. “We didn’t get our people out to vote. Let’s not let that happen again.”