1984 NC US Senate contest: the long wait for a winner

[49ersFootball]

The NC US Senate was getting nasty, ugly & very bitter between popular NC Governor James Baxter "Jim" Hunt, Jr., (D) & Conservative icon United States Senator Jesse Helms (R-NC). Helms, known for his violent race-baiting, was upping the ante even further to the point of having Helms allies employing racially-charged tactics to discourage or intimidate minority voters from showing up at the polls with threats even violence.

Hunt, had the experience of holding statewide office for 12 years (4 years as NC's 27th Lieutenant Governor & a successful 8 years as NC's 69th Governor) & discussed his accomplishments such as appointing more women & minorities to boards, commissions than any of his predecessors, supporting the MLK Holiday, achieving a budget surplus, pushing balanced budgets during his Governorship, etc.,

North Carolinians were awaiting the results with a few months to go with twists & turns, nobody knew who the winner was, it was going to have major ramifications in statewide politics inside the Tar Heel State in the coming years.

Stay tuned...

 

[NHBL]

I'd love to see Senator NO get Clobbered. I've looked into him for my Masquerade ASB timeline

 

[49ersFootball]

I'd love to see Senator NO get Clobbered. I've looed into him for my Masquerade ASB timeline

Stay tuned on the results, but for now, I'm researching & finding some videos on the nasty debates.

 

[NHBL]

Stay tuned on the results, but for now, I'm researching & finding some videos on the nasty debates.

I'm going to have to do some research on him, too. He's not the centerpoint of my tale--far from it--but unemployed in '78 leads to him being a loose cannon.

 

[49ersFootball]

Helms
2:00 PM EST, Saturday, July 21st, 1984
NC GOP HQ, Raleigh, NC.

​

It was a fiery speech the hardcore Conservative icon delivered to the NC GOP faithful, blasting what he called, the "liberal & big government progressive policies" of NC Governor Jim Hunt (D) & was determined to exploit racially-charged divisions by scaring Anglo voters away from the popular 2-term Dem Governor.

Helms' favorite special diet was non-stop race baiting: his blatant attacks on the Civil Rights Movement, which he called a national security threat to the United States; bashing the 1964 Civil Rights Act & 1965 Voting Rights Act including desegregation of public schools as well as colleges & universities were quite obvious. His allies were also upping the ante to more aggressive levels.

On Helms' latest attacks on the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., & the MLK Holiday, Helms blasted King's alleged "action-oriented Marxism" in a 16-day filibuster (the MLK Holiday legislation was passed overwhelmingly in 1983 & signed into law by POTUS Ronald Reagan). Helms was determined to use more racially-charged rhetoric & even more disgusting tactics to use against Hunt.... "That uppity LIBERAL Governor thinks he got me outworked, just wait until I unleash Holy Hell on that uppity N******* lover."

The TV Advertising commercials were going to get NASTY & Helms thrived & relished off of making opponents look silly.

 

[49ersFootball]

I'm going to have to do some research on him, too. He's not the centerpoint of my tale--far from it--but unemployed in '78 leads to him being a loose cannon.

In this TL, I'm still doing my research & it will show how uglier Helms will get into the dirt in launching violent racially-charged rhetoric to the point of sending allies to intimidate minority voters (some of these Helms allies would escalate things to a deadlier level)...

I'm also cooking up some special diets on this TL including the possibility of Hunt returning to Raleigh.... stay tuned.

 

[49ersFootball]

Hunt
4:10 PM EST, Saturday, July 21st, 1984
NC Executive Mansion, Raleigh, NC.

​

Despite some slippage in several polling surveys (due to Helms' violent race-baiting & non-stop negative attacks hammering Hunt's record), the popular 2-term Dem Governor's prospects of pulling off an upset in the hotly-contested NC US Senate contest looked bright: he also highlighted his successful accomplishments as NC's 69th Governor: appointing more women, African Americans, Latinos & others to offices, boards, commissions in state government than any of his predecessors had done. He had also appointed the first African American Cabinet Secretary, first African American Court of Appeals Judge, first African American Justice on the NC Supreme Court & first African American Chief Justice on the NC Supreme Court.

Hunt already had been pushing civil rights long before getting to the NC Executive Mansion. In 1970, as Chairman of the NC Dems Reform Commission, he expedited a rewrite of party rules to requiring more participation by African Americans, women & the youth. He also pushed the NC Dems to reaching out to minority voters.

Elected as NC's 27th Lieutenant Governor in 1972 during the GOP landslide [where then-POTUS Richard Nixon won reelection in a massive landslide over the hapless United States Senator George McGovern (D-SD) & Conservative icon Jesse Helms' victory in the NC US Senate contest as well as the election of Jim Holshouser (R) to the Governorship, making him the Tar Heel State's first GOP Governor since Reconstruction], Hunt began working successfully with then-Governor Holshouser-across political party lines---to pass a $300 million bond issue to raising teacher pay (which other US State Governors would push for years later) & establishing statewide kindergartens. Both Hunt & Holshouser teamed up to pass the Coastal Area Management Act, which provided for the preservation & management of the 20 coastal Counties between VA & SC. He was also a strong advocate for the medical school at East Carolina University. He also served as President of the NC State Senate, member on the Council of State, NC Board of Education, NC Capital Planning Commission & NC Board of Community Colleges including serving as Chairman of the eLearning Commission.

Prevented from succeeding himself as Lieutenant Governor, it was inevitable that Hunt had his eyes on the NC Executive Mansion & the NC Dems were badly itching to get the Governorship back after losing it in 1972. Hunt declared his candidacy in April of 1976: campaigning on a platform that stressed crime prevention, economic development & education. Fast forward to Election Night: Tuesday, November 2nd, 1976: Hunt emerged victorious, easily crushing David Flaherty (R) in a landslide victory garnering 1,081,293 votes (64.99%) to Falherty's 564,102 votes (33.90%) & carried 96 out of 100 Counties. He was inaugurated as the Tar Heel State's 69th Chief Executive on January 8th, 1977.

Once in office, during the early part of Hunt's 1st term, he introduced a double-pronged strategy designed to encourage long-term economic growth in the Tar Heel State, first by improving education, & second, by recruiting more industries with high-paying jobs. While successfully passing measures to achieve these goals, he also coped with several issues that caught national interest. The first of these was then-US Health, Education & Welfare Secretary Joseph Califano's campaign to outlaw cigarette smoking. This controversial campaign from the administration of POTUS Jerry Brown would have the effect of dramatically lessening the profitability of tobacco, NC's major cash crop. The second major state issue of national interest occurred when Califano struck again, this time announcing that the University of North Carolina System had failed to adequately desegregate.

During Hunt's 1st term, the Dem-controlled NC General Assembly passed a measure allowing the Governor to serve 2 consecutive terms with the option of seeking 3rd & 4th terms after sitting out 4 years; taking advantage of this opportunity, Hunt chose to seek reelection to a 2nd term, which drew a primary challenge from former Governor Robert W. Scott (D)..... which Hunt won pretty easily & slightly distancing himself from the unpopular President Brown (who had been defeated in the Dem Primary for President to US Secretary of State Jimmy Carter) in 1980, where the Reagan Revolution was taking over all over the United States, Hunt won reelection very handily in another landslide victory, defeating I. Beverly Lake (R) on November 4th, 1980, garnering 1,143,145 votes (61.88%) to Lake's 691,449 votes (37.43%) & he also carried 91 out of 100 Counties. He was inaugurated for a historic 2nd term as Governor on January 3rd, 1981.

 

[49ersFootball]

Martin
6:01 PM EST, Tuesday, July 24th, 1984
Martin Family Residence, Charlotte, NC.

6-term US Rep. James Grubbs Martin (R-NC) had served in Congress over the past 12 years representing the 9th Congressional District since 1973 & before that, served for 6 years on the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners from 1967 until his election to Congress in 1972. He was seen by many as one of the rising stars in the National GOP as well as benefiting from the coattails of popular POTUS Ronald Reagan, who was cruising towards an enormous massive landslide reelection victory in the Presidential contest.​

Martin's campaign had gotten a major boost when several Conservative NC Dems such as outgoing Lieutenant Governor James Green (D), who lost the Dem Gubernatorial Primary to State AG Rufus L. Edmisten (D), crossed party lines to support Martin. "This is amazing, many Conservative Dems in Eastern NC are crossing political party lines to support my campaign for Governor. If I win this, it will shape NC politics for generations as well as continue the GOP trend that NC is experiencing in recent years. However, some GOPers on the national level are going to be pushing me to run for the Presidency in 8 years... IF I win this Gubernatorial campaign, but I doubt my wife & kids would want me to go back to DC considering I spent 12 years there in the US House of Representatives."

Martin was also helped by the coattails of popular POTUS Reagan, who campaigned on Martin's behalf. It was going to be a historic campaign & many political experts wondered if the NC GOP would not only win several of the statewide offices, but sweep them all.

 

[49ersFootball]

Gantt
10:42 PM EST, Friday, July 27th, 1984
Charlotte City Hall, Charlotte, NC.

​

It's been a worthwhile story for Harvey Bernard Gantt, making history a couple of times was intriguing to some, who found him very brave, courageous & articulate. Born on January 14th, 1943 in Charleston, SC to Wihelminia & Christopher C. Gantt, a shipyard worker. He started to participate in civil rights activism in high school & graduated from Burke High School, furthering his education at Iowa St University from 1961 to 1962. In 1963, he was the first African American to be admitted to Clemson University in Clemson, SC. He received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Architecture with Honors & later a Master's Degree in City Planning from MIT in 1970.

In 1964, Gantt married Lucinda Brawley & the couple would have 4 kids. Soon after graduating from Clemson, Gantt worked for Odell Associates in Charlotte. In 1971, upon graduating from MIT, he returned to Charlotte & co-founded the award-winning firm Gantt Huberman Architects with Jeff Huberman. Some of the firm's projects include the Charlotte Transportation Center, Transamerica Square & First Ward Recreation Center.

Before too long, Gantt became attracted to politics. In 1974, he was chosen to fill the seat of Fred Alexander, who was the first African American on the Charlotte City Council & was elected to full 2-year term in 1975 & reelected in 1977, 1979 & again in 1981; he was also the Mayor Pro-Tem from 1981 to 1983. During his time on the City Council, Gantt encouraged voting participation of African Americans & other minorities & reformed the process of electing City Councilmembers.

In 1983, Gantt decided to run for the Mayoralty, nominated by the Dems as their candidate, he was elected with 52% of the citywide vote & 36% of Anglos as the first African American Mayor of the Tar Heel State's largest city

 

[49ersFootball]

Over in Charlotte

While the NC US Senate campaign was featuring several key debates, there was a voter registration drive backed by the NAACP & other civil rights organizations, who were working hard in registering new voters to participate in the upcoming November general election, when a mysterious group of hardcore Helms backers were stalking a group of NAACP voter registration workers with the comments, "You NAACP agitators need to get out of NC & move back up North. We don't want you mongrel kind over here stirring up trouble, do you understand ?" Thelma Williams of Charlotte, NC, was a graduate of NC A&T University & had served 3 1/2 years in the United States Army & later worked with the administrative staff at NC A&T, was startled at first, but she responded, "You need to stop harassing us. People are registering to vote in this election, this is a free country." The driver of the red pick-up truck, snarled back, "You better gone from here. Curfew is coming in 5 HRS & if we see your ass still on the street, you better start running dumb girl."

 

[49ersFootball]

Polling Surveys from Gallup (July 2nd-July 25th, 1984)
NC United States Senator
Governor Jim Hunt (D): 41%
United States Senator Jesse Helms (R-NC): 38%
Undecided: 21%

The

 

[49ersFootball]

Polling Surveys from Gallup (July 2nd-July 25th, 1984)
NC Governor (OPEN)
US Rep. James G. Martin (R-NC): 54%
NC State AG Rufus L. Edmisten (D): 33%
Undecided: 11%

 

[historybuff]

Consider me interested. Wonder if we get a POV from the White House. Can't see Reagan approving of Helm's tactics.

 

[49ersFootball]

Consider me interested. Wonder if we get a POV from the White House. Can't see Reagan approving of Helm's tactics.

Reagan & the NRSC will be talking to chat with Helms behind closed doors if Helms escalates more uglier tactics.

 

[49ersFootball]

Over in Charlotte

It was a Friday night, when Thelma Williams was getting into her Oldsmobile after a long day at the NAACP Voter Registration Drive initiative getting new voters registered in preparation for the November elections. She had a long day at work, driving past the highway overlooking the neighborhood when she was blinded by large lights behind her...

She was trying to keep her eyes on the road as she made the turn towards a curve at Holland Drive (similar to Muhalland Drive in Los Angeles, CA)... the redneck Pick-Up truck kept ramming into the back of Thelma's vehicle. All of a sudden, another redneck Pick-Up cut her off when she tried to make the right turn when this pick-up blocked her way. Sensing something wasn't right, Thelma said to herself, "What's going on ? I'm trying to get to my neighborhood."

The redneck pick-up behind her rammed into her vehicle again, causing Thelma to lose control of her vehicle.....

Those inside the pick-up truck "That's right. We got your *** now" as Thelma's vehicle flipped over multiple times before crashing into the ground overlooking a waterfall river resulting in Thelma being bloodied, bruised.

The people inside the redneck Pick-Up trucks got out, looked below to see the damage, happily satisfied. Some were high-fiving themselves "No outside Yankee agitator will get those mongrels registered now! This is Helms Country!"

 

[49ersFootball]

The aftermath of the accident

Following the automobile accident, Thelma managed to get out of her damaged Oldsmobile. Disoriented & confused on where she was, she tried walking gingerly toward higher ground in order to ask for help....

Until a group of rednecks grabbed her from behind, knocking her out with the butt of their pistol. Jimmy Forrester from Durham, NC was one of the instigators who snarled, "You outside agitator will get it tonight. Strip the uppity ******!" What would happen next was disturbing: Thelma unconscious, striped completely naked with legs spread wide, was being violated non-stop by each of the five rednecks (some of whom were taking turns).

"Tell me how you like it," Jimmy smiled as he punched her in the left side of her face, holding her down while the violent assault continued all night long.

 

[49ersFootball]

The Next Day: Saturday, July 28th, 1984

Henry Bennett his wife, Loretta & their 5 kids were going to their favorite spot in their Summer fishing trip when the oldest son, Henry, Jr., yelled "Dad. Mom. Come help, I found somebody, whose badly hurt & she needs help."

Bennett & the rest of the family ran over to the waterfall ground, putting his jacket & large rug covering Thelma, who was barely breathing while Loretta drove out to call 911 at a local gas station. Not long afterwards, emergency ambulance arrived where the medics carefully put an unconscious Thelma into the ambulance as they worked hard to save her life.

Grey's Medical Center:
Upon arrival at the hospital, doctors worked emergency surgery on Thelma when they discovered the injuries she had sustained were more serious than originally thought.... one of the nurses also found out Thelma had been violently raped so violently & beaten. Dr. Richard Garfield called members of Thelma's family, informing them to arrive at the hospital at once because death was imminent.

5:25 PM: After several HRS working on emergency, Thelma Williams expired at the age of 30. Devastating members of her family including her 3 young daughters.

 

[Peebs]

Please God let Hunt win ITTL.

 

[49ersFootball]

The Aftermath of Thelma's death

Soon after getting notified of his daughter's death, US Marine LTC Jerome Foley immediately got on a flight from Luke AFB, flying straight to Charlotte to be with his family. He was angry & furious at what had happened to his oldest daughter.

He called his brother & retired US Marine Corps veteran, State Senator Bradford Foley (D-Raleigh) to inform him of the news. Bradford went ballistic at the notification of his niece's violent death & when he discovered the gruesome details, it angered him more...

 

[49ersFootball]

Please God let Hunt win ITTL.

Stay tuned because this will impact the NC US Senate contest in a big way, leading some national figures coming down to the Tar Heel State.