By Scott Jenkins

Salisbury Post

MOCKSVILLE — Sen. Andrew Brock lost in his bid last weekend to become chairman of the N.C. Republican Party, but the legislator who represents Rowan and Davie counties in the General Assembly said he will still consider it a win if party leadership takes seriously the issues he raised.

“I think a lot of the ideas and issues I brought up will be taken up,” he said. “I think they’re issues we have to take care of as a state and Republican Party as well.”

A majority of the 284 GOP executive committee members meeting in Greensboro on Saturday voted for Linda Daves, former party vice chairwoman, to serve the remaining five months of former Chairman Ferrell Blount’s term. Blount stepped down after the November elections.

Brock had said he wanted the GOP to become “a more activist party,” more engaged in public debate and better at communicating itself as more business-friendly than the Democratic Party, which receives more money from business than Republicans.

Some Republicans wanted a new direction in party leadership after GOP losses in state and national races this year, but Daves, who served under Blount and has been interim chairwoman since his resignation, represents stability in the top ranks heading into the 2008 elections.

Among other duties, the party chairman is responsible for recruiting candidates and fundraising.

Of three candidates, Brock said he came in second on the ballot in a close race Saturday despite getting a late start on his campaign for the chairmanship. And he said many delegates responded favorably to the speech he gave at the meeting, so he hopes that translates to his ideas being implemented.

The Senator said he hasn’t decided yet whether he will run for a full two-year term as party chair in May.

“I’m going to give Linda all due consideration; she won the chairmanship and she has the next few months to lay the groundwork,” Brock said. “I’ll give her that, but I know a lot of people are still wanting me to run.”

Contact Scott Jenkins at 704-797-4248 or sjenkins@salisburypost.com.