The *body count* from Tuesday? At least EIGHT NCGA incumbents

I can’t recall the last time we had this much of this kind of action in General Assembly primaries.  Assembly seats are not exactly in high demand.  Usually, if you want to go to Raleigh, you can go.  There are not a lot of people who will fight you for this opportunity.  Keep your head down, behave yourself, and you can hang out on Jones Street for as long as you like.

At least that is the way it USED to be.  The battle royale centered around Rockingham County and senate president pro tem Phil Berger appears to have influenced some other primaries around the state:

[…] The three House Democrats who were defeated all had one thing in common: They voted with Republicans last year to help override some of Gov. Josh Stein’s vetoes.

Longtime Rep. Shelly Willingham of Edgecombe County lost to Patricia Smith, a minister and small business owner from Williamston. Willingham was the only Democrat last year to vote for a bill to allow non-public school employees and volunteers to carry a firearm on campus with written permission and a concealed carry permit.

And in Mecklenburg County, Democratic primary voters ousted Reps. Nasif Majeed and Carla Cunningham. Majeed was the lone Democrat to support new restrictions on LGBTQ people. Cunningham faced criticism for her vote and speech in favor of a bill requiring sheriffs to cooperate more closely with ICE. Gov. Josh Stein had endorsed her opponent, Charlotte pastor Rodney Sadler.

On the Republican side, the message from primary voters in upset races was less clear.

House Freedom Caucus Chairman Keith Kidwell lost to farmer Darren Armstrong. Kidwell said Armstrong was recruited by Republican Rep. Jimmy Dixon over a disagreement about the annual farm bill. Kidwell objected to a proposal in the farm bill that would have protected chemical pesticide companies from lawsuits. […]

I find the Dixon story a little suspect.  I’ve dealt with Dixon personally.  He doesn’t strike me as smart enough to concoct and / or execute a sophisticated scheme like what Kidwell describes.

Personally, I think Kidwell’s own personality and attitude did most of the damage to him.  Also, decisions like allowing Jason Saine into the mostly-ineffectual House Freedom Caucus didn’t help.

MORE:

[…] In Rockingham County — where Berger got just a third of the vote in his home county — Rep. Reece Pyrtle lost to Seth Woodall, an attorney who previously ran for lieutenant governor.

“I think it just has to do with the ability to actually be effective in Raleigh,” Woodall told WUNC News last week. “We need more leaders who care more about Rockingham County than they do Raleigh, and that’s what I’m here for.”

Longtime Gaston County Rep. Kelly Hastings lost to Caroline Eason, a young pharmacist who’s been pushing for legislation to help small, locally owned pharmacies. […] 

Hastings has been a source of much comic relief for us over the years.  Known around the legislature as “Walkin’ Kelly'”, Hastings garnered a reputation for disappearing when it came time for controversial / uncomfortable votes.

Hastings also developed quite a reputation for *creative* use of campaign funds.

MORE:

[…] In Cabarrus County, first-term GOP Sen. Chris Measmer lost to former Rep. Kevin Crutchfield, who had lost a primary for his House seat two years ago. […]

You may recall that the gambling crowd and their dark money targeted Measmer pretty hard. We’ll have to see if they get what they paid for with Mr. Crutchfield.

MORE: 

[…] And in western North Carolina, Republican Rep. Mark Pless of Haywood County lost to Jimmy Rogers, a Haywood County school board member. […]

It was once said that politicians are like undies — they need to be changed out frequently and regularly.  

Nice work, folks.  Let’s see if we can do even better in two years.