Editorial - November 2003

Ballenger faces serious challenge

Published November 14, 2003

Voters in Lincoln County who want to oust U.S. Rep. Cass Ballenger of Hickory from office can find reason next year. Three issues immediately come to mind.

· The troubled economy and the big loss of manufacturing jobs in his district have caused widespread criticism from industry leaders, particularly in the textile field, who are frustrated that Congress is doing little to stop the flood of foreign imports.

· Ballenger recently received some negative publicity when he blamed the break-up of his 50-year marriage on the stress of living near a Muslim advocacy group and the toned-down party circuit on Capitol Hill. (He complained that Republicans had wiped out the social life of congressional wives by banning gifts, meals and theater tickets from lobbyists.)

· Though healthy today, Ballenger would be close to 80-years-old by the end of his next term.

Ballenger has a conservative voting record which usually is aligned with his district’s needs. He has had little trouble winning elections since he first took office in 1986. Last year he handily defeated Democrat Ron Daugherty with 63 percent of the vote.

 But the huge toll in job losses in the 10th Congressional District makes him an ideal scapegoat. Next election he will encounter opposition from his own party. George Moretz, the chairman of Carolina Mills who is also from Hickory, has announced his candidacy. In a press release Moretz says he has seen economic ups and downs since he entered the textile business in the 1960s, “but never before has our economy been in worse trouble than it is today.”

 Moretz cites some disturbing statistics on the loss of manufacturing jobs, with three counties in Ballenger’s district losing from 17 to 25 percent of its manufacturing jobs in the last two years. North Carolina, he says, has seen the second biggest decline in the workforce to any other state except Michigan. He blames Congress for a trade policy that opened the doors to foreign imports.

There is also some speculation that Ballenger will not seek re-election, though his office has not made any such announcement. Seeing that Ballenger may step down, Sen. Austin Allran, another Hickory Republican and along-time legislator, has expressed interest in the seat. He has already formed an exploratory committee.

While the signs indicate an exit of some sort, Ballenger could bet on the long record of support he has had with voters in the past and seek re-election. But he would probably face his toughest contest to date.

© 2001 Lincoln Times-News  

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