Bingham And Gallimore Face Off Again In Senate District 33 | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's note: The author of this post is Donna Martinez, who is a contributor to the Carolina Journal, John Hood Publisher.

2012 GOP opponents differ on Alcoa, energy subsidies, education

    RALEIGH — In 2012 Tea Party Republican Eddie Gallimore came within 505 votes of defeating incumbent Republican Sen. Stan Bingham for the opportunity to represent Davidson and Montgomery counties in the North Carolina Senate. But Gallimore didn't see his primary election defeat as the end of the line.

    "When you come that close and you spend a tenth of the amount of money, that tells me something, that people are wanting me to do it again," said the president of the Davidson County Tea Party.

    So he is.

    The winner of the District 33 GOP primary faces no Democratic Party opposition in the general election, and, barring an unlikely successful write-in or unaffiliated campaign, will be sworn in to the North Carolina Senate next January. Bingham had $9,639 campaign cash on hand at the end of 2013. Gallimore's campaign contributions were not available.

    The district, comprising Davidson and Montgomery counties, is listed as a strong Republican seat by the North Carolina FreeEnterprise Foundation, with 43.7 percent of voters registered as Republicans compared to 31.7 percent Democrats, and 85.8 percent being white. In 2012 Republican Gov. Pat McCrory won 71.2 percent of the vote, GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney got 68.2 percent.

    Gallimore has resurrected two key messages from the 2012 campaign. He still says he is more conservative than Bingham, and he still maintains Bingham supports a state takeover of the Yadkin River dams and hydroelectric facilities owned and operated by Alcoa.

    The company wants the federal government to renew its operating license, but over the past several years there has been opposition from some local and state officials. The dams and their reservoirs are located in five counties, including Davidson and Montgomery.

    Bingham pushed back on both claims, saying he doesn't support a state takeover of Alcoa's facilities.

    "I think we own water resources. I think the governor believes that, I believe that," he said. "And this would be an opportunity for jobs. The original agreement with Alcoa was job-related. We have no benefit. They wholesale the power; they don't come under the Utilities Commission. So I think for the future of our state and jobs, that would be very essential."

    As for whether he's conservative, Bingham issued a challenge.

    "I've always said show me what you've done. Don't tell me; show me what you've done," he said. "You can look at the awards I've won, you can look at the bills I've passed, and the things that I've accomplished."

    The Republicans also part company on two hotly debated education reforms.

    Bingham initially supported eliminating tenure for public school teachers.

    "But since [then] I've spoken with several principals that I've got a lot of confidence in, and they indicate that it has done damage. So I think it — quite honestly, I think it needs to be revisited and more discussion about this" he said.

    Gallimore doesn't see anything to debate. "If you do not do your job, you should lose it," he said.

    He is equally concise about paying teachers based on performance.

    "If a teacher's doing what they should, then they should be compensated for it," Gallimore said.

    Bingham said he's been supportive of merit pay, but also believes problems can occur when people disagree about who is outstanding and who is mediocre. He likes the idea of paying more for teachers who possess in-demand knowledge in fields like science and engineering.

    Bingham and Gallimore also disagree on the role of the state in the energy sector.

    When asked if the state should be in the business of subsidizing renewable energy sources, Bingham said yes.

    "I don't like subsidies of any kind," he said, "but it's just something that has to be done, it appears. Without subsidizing, it disappears. And so if you do put a little seed money in there, it stimulates research and development. And we all know that the country is moving in that direction."

    Gallimore is against the subsidies.

    "I oppose government subsidies for most everything. My tax dollars should not be invested in a private company, just like the government does not need to be taking over private companies," he said.

    The founder of Bingham Lumber Company in Denton, Bingham is most proud of legislation he sponsored to curb fraud and abuse of the elderly. Finishing work on the issue was his foremost interest in serving another term.

    The district, he said, also needs an advocate for replacing jobs lost in furniture and textiles. Davidson County's January unemployment rate stood at 7.2 percent, while Montgomery County's rate was even higher — 7.7 percent.

    Bingham hopes tax reform enacted last year will lead to more jobs. The package included lowering the corporate income tax rate to 6 percent for 2014, and 5 percent in 2015. If revenue projections are on target, the rate will drop to 4 percent in 2016, and 3 percent in 2017.

    Gallimore, who owns a construction and grading company, said tax reform is good, but only one component of the state's fiscal plan. He wants to rein in spending and supports a Taxpayer Bill of Rights, which would cap annual spending growth based on a formula using population growth and inflation, unless voters pass a referendum to raise them further.

    "You and I as persons can't go out here and spend a lot of money that we don't have or can't pay back," he said. "The government should be held accountable in the same way."

    Bingham likes the idea of TABOR, but wants to look closely at how it's worked in other states.