Cain Closer to Decision
Jim Cain, a Republican lawyer from Raleigh, says he is
continuing to explore a gubernatorial bid next year and plans to
decide within eight weeks.
Cain drew notice this week when he criticized a Department of
Commerce trade mission to Europe because it included a stop in
France. Cain said he thought it was inappropriate to go to France
because of that country’s opposition to the war in Iraq.
Although he said he has made no decision, Cain said he is
closer to declaring his candidacy than he was at the beginning of
the year.
“I have received lot of encouragement by friends and
acquaintances whose opinions I respect and who have a continuing
concern about our state leadership,” Cain said.
Cain, 45, said family considerations will play a major role in
his decision. He and his wife have two daughters.
Cain is best known as president of the Carolina Hurricanes
professional hockey team, a post he left last year. As a result
of the hockey job and his law practice, Cain has made connections
with many area business leaders.
But he is also politically experienced, having been trained in
politics as part of the old National Congressional Club, the
political organization of former Sen. Jesse Helms.
Cain is the subject of a flattering profile in this month’s
edition of North Carolina, the magazine of the N.C. Citizens for
Business and Industry. The group functions as the state’s chamber
of commerce.
Cain is hardly the only Republican interested in challenging
Democratic Gov. Mike Easley. Others who have expressed interest
include Sen. Patrick Ballantine of Wilmington, former Charlotte
Mayor Richard Vinroot, insurance agent George Little of Southern
Pines, state Supreme Court Chief Justice Beverly Lake Jr. and
Winston-Salem lawyer Dan Barrett.
U.S. Rep. Robin Hayes of Concord is expected to announce
shortly that he will not run for governor.
Justice Lake to stay?
Lake is still not talking about whether he plans to run for
governor next year. But the Republican’s options remain narrow
under a revised Code of Judicial Conduct issued this week.
Talk had circulated in Raleigh that justices were considering
a revision to the code to allow judges to remain on the bench
while running for nonjudicial offices. In the end, they decided
to leave the provision alone, Lake said.
“Judges have to not just be impartial completely,” Lake said.
“They have to be perceived as impartial and fair.”
Political wedding
You can tell it’s a political wedding when two former U.S.
senators and a former congressman show up.
The recent wedding of Chuck Fuller and Holly Michelle Coffer
in North Raleigh resembled a Republican convention. And no
wonder. Fuller managed the 1998 re-election campaign of Sen.
Lauch Faircloth and the 1996 gubernatorial campaign of Robin
Hayes. Coffer is the daughter of Raleigh physician Bert Coffer,
who was campaign treasurer for Sen. Jesse Helms in 1996.
Helms, Faircloth and former U.S. Rep. Fred Heineman were among
those who attended the ceremony at Bay Leaf Baptist Church. Among
the groomsmen were Johnston County Sheriff Steve Bizzell and
Jonathan Hill, the head of the state chapter of Citizens for a
Sound Economy.
Democrats were sprinkled in the crowd as well, including
former Lt. Gov. Dennis Wicker and Rufus Edmisten, a former
secretary of state and former attorney general.