Candidates for governor, senator respond to events in Charlotte

Policy analysts agree state elections in November will likely be unaffected by the death of Keith Scott despite protests in Charlotte last week due to the candidates' measured responses. 

Scott was fatally shot on Sept. 20 by a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer outside an apartment complex. Police and eyewitness accounts of the events leading up to Scott's death conflicted, and protests ensued later that night.

Rob Schofield, policy director at NC Policy Watch, said the responses of political candidates prevented more tension. 

“There’s a chance that it could have had a real big impact on the election if we had seen an escalation of the violence or an escalation of the rhetoric used on either side,” he said.

He said Gov. Pat McCrory and his opponent, N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper, gave appropriate responses to the situation.

“One might have expected a real attempt to divide the people and instead I think there’s been an acknowledgement that this is a difficult situation with ambiguous facts,” said Schofield. 

McCrory in his most recent statement said he agreed with the decision of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police chief to release the video footage of the incident and he is proud of North Carolina.

“I am especially proud that some of the most memorable images from last night were of peaceful protesters hugging and shaking hands with our National Guard members and law enforcement," McCrory said. "This is the Charlotte and North Carolina I know.”

Cooper said in a Facebook statement that he acknowledged both the work of police officers and the concerns of protestors.

Democratic senatorial candidate Deborah Ross and Republican incumbent Sen. Richard Burr both released brief statements condemning the violence. Ross encouraged dialogue while Burr urged people to be patient with the police department's investigation.

Steven Greene, a professor of political science at N.C. State University, said statements like these and the protests themselves could mobilize voters concerned about crime.

“It’s happened before — both at the local level and at big cities — where there have been violence and protests," Greene said.

Susan Roberts, associate professor of political science at Davidson College, said candidates for both the senatorial and gubernatorial races should refrain from politicizing the issue to prevent appearing tasteless. 

“If I were a campaign advisor, I would tell them to frame this in terms of an issue that will take a long time to resolve, but to talk about these small steps that can be made, whether that is with dash cams or body cams or talking with the public," she said.

Roberts said the way the presidential candidates frame their responses could have a bigger impact.

“I think that what happens in North Carolina, if you are looking at the election returns, may be a bell ringer for what happens nationally," she said. 

state@dailytarheel.com