Paul Wright
Paul Wright (Republican Party) was a judge of the North Carolina Superior Courts.
Wright (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. Senate to represent North Carolina. He lost in the Republican primary on March 3, 2020.
Wright completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Wright was born in Buncombe County, North Carolina and raised in Haywood County. Growing up, he worked on his uncle's farm and was a construction subcontractor in the Asheville area. A graduate of Clyde A. Erwin High School, where he was All County in football and student body president, Wright earned his undergraduate degree from Wheaton College and a J.D. from Duke Law School.[1]
Wright worked as an Assistant District Attorney in the 8th District of Eastern North Carolina and was later appointed District Court Judge for Wayne, Lenoir and Greene counties, where he served for six years. Wright was then elected to serve as a judge in the North Carolina Superior Courts. He retired after 22 years in the North Carolina court system.[1]
Education
- Clyde A. Erwin High School (Asheville, NC)
- B.A., Wheaton College
- J.D., Duke Law School
Elections
2020
See also: United States Senate election in North Carolina, 2020
United States Senate election in North Carolina, 2020 (March 3 Republican primary)
United States Senate election in North Carolina, 2020 (March 3 Democratic primary)
General election
General election for U.S. Senate North Carolina
Incumbent Thom Tillis defeated Cal Cunningham, Shannon Bray, and Kevin E. Hayes in the general election for U.S. Senate North Carolina on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Thom Tillis (R) | 48.7 | 2,665,598 | |
| Cal Cunningham (D) | 46.9 | 2,569,965 | ||
| Shannon Bray (L) | 3.1 | 171,571 | ||
| Kevin E. Hayes (Constitution Party) | 1.2 | 67,818 | ||
| Total votes: 5,474,952 | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Jeremy Thomas (Independence Party)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. Senate North Carolina
Cal Cunningham defeated Erica Smith, Trevor Fuller, Steve Swenson, and Atul Goel in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate North Carolina on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Cal Cunningham | 56.9 | 717,941 | |
| Erica Smith | 34.8 | 438,969 | ||
| Trevor Fuller | 3.8 | 48,168 | ||
| Steve Swenson | 2.7 | 33,741 | ||
| Atul Goel | 1.8 | 22,226 | ||
| Total votes: 1,261,045 | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Steve Williams (D)
- Eva Lee (D)
- Eric Mansfield (D)
- Katherine Bell-Moore (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. Senate North Carolina
Incumbent Thom Tillis defeated Paul Wright, Larry Holmquist, and Sharon Hudson in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate North Carolina on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Thom Tillis | 78.1 | 608,943 | |
| Paul Wright | 7.6 | 58,908 | ||
| Larry Holmquist | 7.4 | 57,356 | ||
| Sharon Hudson | 7.0 | 54,651 | ||
| Total votes: 779,858 | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Sandy Smith (R)
- Garland Tucker III (R)
Constitution primary election
The Constitution primary election was canceled. Kevin E. Hayes advanced from the Constitution primary for U.S. Senate North Carolina.
Libertarian primary election
The Libertarian primary election was canceled. Shannon Bray advanced from the Libertarian primary for U.S. Senate North Carolina.
2018
General election
General election for U.S. House North Carolina District 12
Incumbent Alma Adams defeated Paul Wright in the general election for U.S. House North Carolina District 12 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Alma Adams (D) | 73.1 | 203,974 | |
| Paul Wright (R) | 26.9 | 75,164 | ||
| Total votes: 279,138 (100.00% precincts reporting) | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 12
Incumbent Alma Adams defeated Keith Young, Patrick Register, and Gabe Ortiz in the Democratic primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 12 on May 8, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Alma Adams | 85.5 | 38,849 | |
| Keith Young | 5.6 | 2,549 | ||
| Patrick Register | 4.6 | 2,074 | ||
| Gabe Ortiz | 4.3 | 1,959 | ||
| Total votes: 45,431 | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 12
Paul Wright defeated Paul Bonham and Carl Persson in the Republican primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 12 on May 8, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Paul Wright | 43.2 | 3,221 | |
| Paul Bonham | 31.5 | 2,349 | ||
| Carl Persson | 25.3 | 1,885 | ||
| Total votes: 7,455 | ||||
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2016
House
Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Democratic. Incumbent Alma Adams (D) defeated Republican candidate Leon Threatt in the general election. Alma Adams (D) defeated Carla Cunningham, Gardenia Henley, Malcolm Graham, Rick Miller, and Tricia Cotham in the Democratic primary on June 7, 2016. Leon Threatt defeated Ryan Duffie and Paul Wright for the Republican nomination. The general election took place on November 8, 2016.[2]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |  Alma Adams Incumbent |
67% | 234,115 | |
| Republican | Leon Threatt | 33% | 115,185 | |
| Total Votes | 349,300 | |||
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections | ||||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Leon Threatt |
41.8% | 3,495 | ||
| Paul Wright | 34.6% | 2,894 | ||
| Ryan Duffie | 23.6% | 1,973 | ||
| Total Votes | 8,362 | |||
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections |
||||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Alma Adams Incumbent |
42.5% | 12,400 | ||
| Malcolm Graham | 28.9% | 8,428 | ||
| Tricia Cotham | 21.1% | 6,165 | ||
| Carla Cunningham | 4.3% | 1,255 | ||
| Gardenia Henley | 1.5% | 444 | ||
| Rodney Moore (withdrawn) | 0.8% | 245 | ||
| Rick Miller | 0.8% | 235 | ||
| Total Votes | 29,172 | |||
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections |
||||
Senate
The race for North Carolina's U.S. Senate seat was one of nine competitive battleground races in 2016 that helped Republicans maintain control of the upper chamber after the November 8 general election. Incumbent Sen. Richard Burr (R) won re-election, defeating former state Rep. Deborah Ross (D) and pizza delivery driver Sean Haugh (L) in the general election.
While most of his colleagues facing tough re-election campaigns were out on the trail, Burr, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, was focused on his duties as chairman and did not officially begin campaigning until October 7, 2016. He told The Associated Press, “I become a candidate on Oct. 7, when the United States Senate is adjourned. I don't want there to be any question between the separation of Senate business, so I have very few conversations with campaigns and it really plays no role in my actions." Some Republican strategists were worried that Burr’s failure to attack Ross early in the race would hurt him on Election Day, while others said “Burr’s low-key style fits the ethos of the state well.”[3][4]
Republican President-elect Donald Trump, who did not establish a strong ground game in the state, and North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory (R), who was unpopular because of his stance on the state’s “bathroom bill,” complicated Burr’s path to re-election. Referring to Trump and McCrory, North Carolina GOP consultant Carter Wrenn said, “If it was a normal year, and it was just Richard and Deborah, you’d have to say Richard had a solid advantage.”[4]
With the uncertain political landscape in North Carolina—it was the only state that The Cook Political Report rated as a “toss-up” for president, Senate, and governor—outside Republican groups spent more money on attack ads in the state than they had initially planned for in an effort to maintain control of the Senate. The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) ran ads attacking Ross for being "too liberal" for North Carolina by highlighting her career with the American Civil Liberties Union. The NRSC also created the site “Radical Ross” to showcase Ross’ stance on “countless radical, out-of-touch policies.”[5][6]
Ross’s campaign spokesman Cole Leiter, who attempted to portray Burr as a Washington insider, responded to the attacks saying, “It’s no surprise that, like a typical Washington politician, [Burr]’s turning to the same big money donors he’s put first all along. But North Carolina voters won’t be fooled — they know it’s time for a change, and no amount of special interest dark money can bail Richard Burr out.”[7]
Ultimately, Burr was not hurt by his late arrival to the campaign trail or by having Trump or McCrory on the ballot. Burr outperformed Trump by earning more votes than the president-elect. After winning re-election, Burr tweeted: “Thank you North Carolina! Honored to continue serving as your senator.”[8]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Richard Burr Incumbent |
51.1% | 2,395,376 | |
| Democratic | Deborah Ross | 45.4% | 2,128,165 | |
| Libertarian | Sean Haugh | 3.6% | 167,592 | |
| Total Votes | 4,691,133 | |||
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections | ||||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Richard Burr Incumbent |
61.4% | 627,354 | ||
| Greg Brannon | 25.2% | 257,331 | ||
| Paul Wright | 8.5% | 86,940 | ||
| Larry Holmquist | 4.9% | 50,507 | ||
| Total Votes | 1,022,132 | |||
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections |
||||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Deborah Ross |
62.4% | 607,802 | ||
| Chris Rey | 16.5% | 160,663 | ||
| Kevin Griffin | 11.7% | 114,180 | ||
| Ernest Reeves | 9.4% | 91,694 | ||
| Total Votes | 974,339 | |||
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections |
||||
2014
Wright ran in the 2014 election for the U.S. House to represent North Carolina's 4th District. Wright lost to incumbent David Price (D) in the general election.[9] He ran unopposed in the Republican primary on May 6, 2014.[10] The general election took place on November 4, 2014.
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | David Price Incumbent |
74.7% | 169,946 | |
| Republican | Paul Wright | 25.3% | 57,416 | |
| Total Votes | 227,362 | |||
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections | ||||
2012
Wright ran for the Republican nomination for Governor of North Carolina. He, along with Jim Harney, Scott Jones, James Mahan and Charles Moss, lost to Pat McCrory in the May 8th primary election.[11]
Campaign themes
2020
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Paul Wright completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Wright's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
| Collapse all
www.wrightforussenate.com
Paul was born in Buncombe County, NC to Roy and Marie Wright. Paul attended public schools at Waynesville & Canton. Growing up, he helped on his uncle's farm and was a construction subcontractor for home building in the Asheville area.
Education Studying history at Furman University (SC) and Wheaton College (IL), he participated in sports (football, track). After college he studied at Westminster Seminary (PA) and Duke Law School (NC.) Career After law school, Paul served as Assistant DA and part-time college Law instructor. Appointed by the Governor as Judge of the District Court, he was later elected as Superior Court Judge. While holding court in over 65 counties as judge he emphasized that Restitution be paid to victims of crimes.
Please visit my website for the March 2020 primary @ www.wrightforussenate.com for the most current information, views on issues included
Paul's father retired from Carolina/Duke Power and he remembers his father telling him of climbing poles to install the very first lights to homes in the mountains.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
2018
Ballotpedia survey responses
- See also: Ballotpedia's candidate surveys
Paul Wright participated in Ballotpedia's candidate survey on March 27, 2018. The survey questions appear in bold, and Paul Wright's responses follow below.[12]
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
| “ | 1) No war with Russia 2) Return issue of samesex marriage to states |
” |
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? Why?
| “ | Resisting the current deChristianization of AmericaCite error: Invalid <ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many[14]
|
” |
Ballotpedia also asked the candidate a series of optional questions. Paul Wright answered the following:
Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?
| “ | Patrick Henry a Christian gentleman who rallied our nation to enact our Bill of Rights in 1789 & to reject the Constituion of 1787 which did not contained these rights.[14] | ” |
| “ | All the first Constiution 1776 and charters of the state of North Carolina (can be found on the internet @ Yale website: http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/nc07.asp[14] | ” |
| “ | I was honored by the people of NC in various elections to serve as a District and Superior Court Judge, holding court in over 65 of its counties.[14] | ” |
| “ | That I resisted the current ongoing deChristianization of my forefather's land, where my ancestors fought all the way back to Kings Mountain in the Revolution[14] | ” |
| “ | Unlike the Senate the House has the power of the purse, enabling it to stop the funding of harmful or wasteful government projects[14] | ” |
| “ | yes[14] | ” |
| “ | Abortion, Illegal immigration, Reversing same sex marriage decision, Avoiding unnecessary wars are some of our great challenges[14] | ” |
2016
The following issues were listed on Wright's campaign website. For a full list of campaign themes, click here.
| “ |
|
” |
| —Paul Wright's campaign website, http://wrightforuscongress.com/index.php/issues-2/ | ||
2014
Wright briefly explained his key issues on his campaign website, writing the following: "The issues and problems America faces are many and the list is long, but among the most pressing concerns before us are the full repeal of ObamaCare (we must retain our freedom to choose our own doctor and nurses), we must end the outsourcing our middle class jobs to other nations (and the subsequent destruction of our economy) and Congress must end all spying on private citizens without a Constitutional warrant…… just to name a few issues."[15]
2012
On his campaign website, Wright advocated for the empowerment of the middle class. He explained, "the middle class carries the burden of our government. By empowering the middle class, we help all others in society. If the middle class is impoverished, they cannot be free. Let us empower our middle class families. In order to accomplish these goals, I propose:
- Obamacare: Resistance by North Carolina concerning the implementation of ObamaCare and the encouragement of it's repeal by Congress. Let us enact an amendment to the North Carolina Constitution similar to the recently enacted Ohio Healthcare Amendment, which Ohio voters approved overwhelmingly on November 8, 2011. The goal of this amendment is to preserve your right to a doctor of your choice and not to allow government officials to make your personal medical decisions.
- Property tax: Each county in North Carolina be given the option by public vote to exchange the real property tax on their homes to one of the following: either a county income tax based on the existing NC income tax or a sales tax or a combination thereof. May North Carolina go forward like the people of North Dakota, who on June 12, 2012 will vote on the proposition to abolish property taxes statewide in North Dakota.
- Tax relief: Tax relief to parents, giving a deduction, limited to $5000 per year, for their children's educational expenses. This relief to be available to all families with children whether in public or private or home schools, similar to the law recently signed by Governor Bobby Jindal in 2011 for the parents of school age children in Louisiana.
- Current conservative issues in North Carolina: I support the Marriage Protection Amendment. And I support those resisting attempts by the ACLU to halt Christian prayers at our Legislature."
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Wright was married to the late Lisa Stanley. He has six children.
See also
2020 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Paul Wright for Governor.com, "Biography," accessed February 26, 2012
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "June Primary Candidates," accessed March 27, 2016
- ↑ The Associated Press, "Burr sticks to low-key style in N. Carolina re-election bid," accessed October 13, 2016
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 National Review, "Is Richard Burr Sailing into the Perfect Storm?" accessed October 11, 2016
- ↑ McClatchy DC, "Republican ad hits NC Senate hopeful Ross for ACLU argument in rape case," accessed October 11, 2016
- ↑ The News & Observer, "Deborah Ross’ ACLU leadership looms large in US Senate race," accessed October 12, 2016
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Nervous Republicans ramp up spending in North Carolina as Senate race tightens," accessed October 11, 2016
- ↑ Gaston Gazette, "Sen. Richard Burr wins re-election over Democrat Deborah Ross," accessed November 14, 2016
- ↑ Politico, "North Carolina House Election Results by District," accessed November 6, 2014
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedprim - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedncboe - ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ Ballotpedia's candidate survey, "Paul Wright's responses," March 27, 2018
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 14.6 14.7 14.8 14.9 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedHome
