This election cycle was very successful for Republicans in North Carolina unlike the one on the national level. Starting in 2013, North Carolina GOP will have control over all three branches of the government, which has never happened before, and some people are not very optimistic.
“Well I believe most people are just happy the negative campaign ads are off the airwaves,” said Democratic Political Operative Justin Conley. “What I think we’re going to see is further cuts to public education from the NC General Assembly. With the three years of budget cuts now amounting to nearly $700 million, local county governments are left with unfunded mandates with little room to work. The NC General Assembly has forced counties through the revision process to make these layoffs. In rural areas like Western North Carolina, where funding these positions comes mainly from the state and federal government, these cuts are going to negatively impact already hurting schools operating at the bare minimum. It’s not a plan for success.”
Topics such as Medicaid and Medicare, education, and unemployment rates will be the issues to watch in the coming years.
“On the local level I don’t really take advantage of what the old folks get and all the federal programs,” said 85-year-old Angela McGregor from Bryson City, N.C. “But I think that a lot of people will be very negatively impacted by the state being Republican.”
McGregor also says that she believes the middle to lower class will suffer.
“I think they’ll be cutting all kinds of programs. They’ll be cutting programs for kids, cutting programs for the disabled, cutting programs for people who are on Medicaid, and cutting a lot of social service programs.”
Associate Professor of Politics and History at Catawba College in Salisbury, N.C., Dr. J. Michael Blitzer, said he expects to see a major push to the right.
“We’re going to see problems come up that we haven’t even thought of,” said Blitzer. Voter ID will get pasted, social concerns like abortion will be brought up and there will be significant conservative change.”
He also says that all the new and inexperienced representatives will be interesting to watch.
“Having so many new freshmen will effect [state government]. They will have to learn how to do it and how they will play with each other.”
Only time will tell what the newly elected state and local officials will do for North Carolina. After an election full of negative ads that were created to tear down each other’s opponents and living in an area that often gets overlooked, apprehension is the feeling of most Western North Carolina residents when it comes to their local and state government.
