Four Orange County state legislators say they will run an active campaign despite running unopposed in the upcoming election.
Rep. Joe Hackney, D-Orange, Rep. Verla Insko, D-Orange, Sen. Eleanor Kinnaird, D-Orange and Sen. Howard Lee, D-Orange are the only candidates for two House and two Senate seats, all but guaranteeing their victory in the Nov. 5 election.
Insko, serving her second term, said she will actively campaign for the 2002 election but will spend less time on the campaign than she would if she had an opponent. She said she plans to mail campaign material, make appearances and campaign with other Democratic candidates in the fall.
Insko said she plans to concentrate her efforts on mental health reform in the state. She is co-chairwoman of the House Mental Health Oversight Committee in the N.C. General Assembly. "There needs to be major revisions in the system," she said.
Insko said Hackney and herself have won elections in the past by sizable margins. "In the past campaigns it was just not feasible to run against us," she said, adding that 62 percent of the district has voted on the Democratic ticket in the past.
Hackney, in his 11th term, said he plans to be active in the local campaign and will also be helping other Democratic candidates. Hackney said he does not think Republicans could draw much of a vote from the district.
Hackney joked that people do not want his job. "It's a bad job and nobody wants it," he said.
Hackney said he will spend part of his campaign time concentrating on environmental matters.
"I will work with air quality, water quality, smart growth, hogs, et cetera," he said.
