Several Charlotte politicians eyeing Myrick's open seat

CHARLOTTE, N.C.,None — The scramble is on for candidates who want to take Rep. Sue Myrick’s seat.

Former sheriff and current county commissioner, Jim Pendergraph, officially announced Wednesday that he was joining the race.

City Councilman Andy Dulin has assembled a campaign team and is all but certain to run.

And Councilman Bill James announced Wednesday he would not run after saying he was seriously considering it Tuesday night.

On the Democratic side, Jennifer Roberts said Tuesday night she was thinking about stepping into the race, but she was also eyeing the Lieutenant Governor’s race.

Myrick said she would not endorse any one candidate, but said she expects a flood of interest when filing begins next week.

“The seat doesn’t come open very often, so we can expect a lot of people to sign up,” she said.

Pendergraph, Dulin and Roberts have strong support in Charlotte, and name recognition, too. But the newly redrawn 9th District could give some candidates a big advantage over the others.

Dulin and Pendergraph will likely face off, possibly with others, in a battle for voters in a district that political expert Dr. Michael Bitzer says the district now heavily favors Republicans.

“Basically, it cuts the heart of the Charlotte Democratic base out,” he said.

The new 9th District now cuts a ring from western Union County, across the southern and northern parts of Mecklenburg County and into Iredell County.

Pendergraph believes the Republican majority plays to his strengths. But so does Dulin, whose city council district lies directly over the biggest concentration of south Charlotte Republican voters.

While Roberts has not committed to a run, she said she believes a Democrat could win the seat. But Bitzer said the district stacks the odds against any Democrat.

“It voted for John McCain 54 percent last time. It’s 40 percent Republican right now. It’s going to be a hard road for any Democrat to really overcome,” Bitzer said.

WSOC