Greer Beaty and Friends

Statement from Greer Beaty

I'd like to begin by offering congratulations to Nelson Dollar for winning this election. Nine months ago, when I gathered my family, friends and neighbors to begin this campaign, no one believed there was a chance that a working mother of two young children with absolutely no political experience could make a competitive run in this district.

But hard work and dedication paid off. The volunteers that gave up their weekends and weeknights to knock on thousands of doors and call thousands of people are the real reason we made it this far. We ran a campaign made up of concerned citizens – not politicians – who wanted to make a difference. I could not be more honored to have had the support of so many of you.

All the provisional ballots have not yet been counted, but I am down by a slim margin of votes. While I believe this margin will shrink, I do not believe it will be overcome.  An election this close affords an opportunity to all - it helps us realize that we must be willing to listen to each other and work together.

The issues that inspired me to throw my hat in the ring are still issues that need to be talked about: better schools, better growth, and effective representation of all the people in the district. I will continue to advocate for those issues. There are many other ways for me to serve my community and I look forward to doing just that.

Thank you again to every person who cast a vote for me on November 7. I am humbled by your support.

My Pledge to You

My opponent, Nelson Dollar, keeps mailing people, questioning my ethics and linking me to Speaker Black, even though I have NEVER received money from Speaker Black. I have stated publicly and in the press that I will not support him for the Speakership if he wins re-election and runs for Speaker.

I wish that elections could be won by only talking about my vision for our state and what I know I can do once elected. But the facts are that I must be willing to defend my position and point out what Nelson Dollar has done and NOT done while in office.

I will promise you this. If elected, I WILL vote for teacher pay raises.

I WILL vote for smaller class sizes. I WILL sign the "no gifts" pledge, I WILL support businesses that are trying to afford health coverage for their employees. I WILL work to help us find ways to grow better, not just bigger. Those are things I strongly believe in and I will work hard for.

Thanks for all your emails and all your feedback.

Greer Beaty

News and Observer Endorses Greer Beaty

On November 1, The News and Observer editorially endorsed Greer Beaty as the best candidate to represent Cary-Apex (the 36th District) in the General Assembly: "Beaty is a dynamo who would bring some solidly progressive positions on issues such as education and growth management. For example, she supports the notion that developers should pay higher impact fees to help fund some of the area's growth...Greer Beaty is simply the superior and progressive candidate. She'd be a terrific member of the General Assembly, and she has The N&O's endorsement."

The Independent Endorses Greer Beaty

The Independent writes about the state legislative race in District 36:

We're supporting Democratic challenger Greer Beaty, a longtime state employee who's recently gone to work as an account supervisor with an advertising and public relations firm in Raleigh. Beaty's running on a traditional, pro-education Democratic platform. She, too, is for the high-risk health insurance pool idea. She's also for letting counties charge impact fees to developers ("policies that will have growth pay for itself"). But mainly, she distinguishes herself from Dollar this way: "While my opponent was running political campaigns for conservatives, I was working across party lines on Hurricane Floyd housing recovery. I was promoting high-quality child care through Smart Start and promoting the state's tourism industry following 9-11." Beaty does indeed have a long record of public service to recommend her. Dollar doesn't.

Of Greer Beaty's opponent, Nelson Dollar, The Independent has this to say:

Media Spotlight on the Campaign

Greer Beaty is attracting statewide media coverage for her challenge to incumbent Nelson Dollar. WRAL-TV ran a report, "Cary State House Race Gets Testy," that's still available as a video clip on WRAL.com.

On the front page of The News and Observer was a piece about the "party feud" in the Republican Party that is making a number of legislators vulnerable, including Dollar. It mentions a study by NCFREE, a business-oriented group, that classified the Cary-Apex legislative district as one of the most competitive races in the state.

The Independent reports that David Miner, the Republican who held the seat prior to Dollar, is supporting Greer Beaty. Click to read.

Here's the candidate profile of Greer in The News and Observer's Voter Guide, and here's the N&O's profile of the 36th district in which Greer is running.

Ask Greer a Question

Here's your chance to ask Greer a question. Find out where she stands.

What Issues Are Important to You?

Greer wants to know what you think on the issues of the day. She's LISTENING. Post your comments here.

Tell Why You Support Greer!

Here's a chance to tell why you support Greer Beaty's candidacy for the state legislature. Post your endorsements here.

Low Country Boil Produces High Turnout

A low-country boil, featuring steamed crawfish and crabs, netted a chunk of change for Greer Beaty's campaign for the state legislature. An enthusiastic crowd of 100 met at the home of Paul and Sue Ray of Cary. Special guest for the event was Congressman David Price, who mingled at length with the group. "This is a blue-moon election in North Carolina," he noted. With no statewide races and no presidential race, turnout is likely to be light, and unusual, unpredictable things can happen on election day. Districts thought to be safely in the hands of one political party may shift. Turnout -- getting out the vote of supporters -- will be particularly important this year, he said.

Word at the event was that the incumbent, Nelson Dollar, has offended quite a few of his constituents, including Republicans, who are not eager to see him re-elected.

Here are a few pictures. Click to enlarge.

Video Clip of Greer Beaty: Why Are You Running for the State Legislature?

Not many candidates for the state legislature or local offices could afford to communicate by video with voters, until now, with the advent of VIDEO BLOGGING. Here's a clip of Greer Beaty that Jim Buie took in her back yard with a Sony Cybershot pocket digital camera. It's not a slick, expensive commercial produced by high-priced consultants who've test-marketed every word she utters. It's an unrehearsed, amateur video taken by a friend and neighbor of one well-informed woman -- a mother, a wife, and a citizen -- speaking informally about why she wants to serve. Click to watch.

What do you think? Is this an effective presentation?