Some of Morgan’s most bitter enemies in the General Assembly would like nothing more than to see him defeated in a primary. They feel Morgan betrayed the party when he cut a deal with Democrats in the House to become co-speaker along with Rep. Jim Black of Mecklenburg County, a Democrat.
It is unclear who the man talked with while in the county. According to several sources, the man formerly held leadership positions in the state Republican Party and was a confidant to former Sen. Jesse Helms and former Gov. Jim Martin.
Morgan, who has served in the House since 1990, said attempts by his adversaries to try and find someone to run against him “is nothing more than sour grapes by a few extremists.” Morgan said that had he not worked out the power-sharing arrangement, Republicans would have been frozen out of a leadership role.
“These are some disgruntled dissidents who are mad because they did not get their way,” Morgan said in an interview this week. “If this deal had not been cut, no Republican would have had a gavel.”
Morgan said this would not be the first time that people from outside of Moore County have tried to influence the outcome of elections in Moore County. He said he is not worried.
“I feel that I can stand on my record,” Morgan said. “The people of Moore County know me. They know what I do to represent them and take care of them.”
Morgan questioned whether some high-powered operative was really in Moore County trying to find someone to run against him in a primary, or just rumors being spread by his adversaries.
‘Well-Connected’
Elizabeth Kelly, chairwoman of the Moore County Republican Party, said she received a call last week from someone she described as “very high-profile and well connected” who was trying to recruit someone to run against Morgan in a primary. Morgan and Kelly, once strong allies, parted ways earlier this year.
Morgan blamed Kelly for recruiting Matt McWilliams to run against him.
Kelly said she had nothing to do with recruiting McWilliams, even though she accompanied him on a trip to meet an influential House member. She said that was part of her duties as party chairwoman
McWilliams has since dropped his campaign and moved out of Moore County in the wake of state Board of Elections investigation into his campaign for the nonpartisan school board in 2002. He also ran afoul of party leaders over his handling of the party’s Web site.
“Several people are out there trying to find someone to run [against Morgan],” Kelly said. “I am getting calls from a number of state Republicans. It’s just incredible.”
It is unclear what role, if any, the state party may take in a potential Republican state House primary in Moore County. The Pilot was unable to reach state party Chairman Ferrell Blount for comment.
The Pilot learned from several sources that the person in Moore County last week indicated that he could raise $500,000 with relative ease to help someone defeat Morgan.
One potential candidate who’s name has surfaced as a possible opponent in the past is former Southern Pines mayor Mike Fields. Fields decline to say whether this person had contacted him last week.
But Fields said he has no intentions to run for state House now, mainly because of family obligations.
“At some point in the future, that might be an option for me,” Fields said. “I think he [Morgan] is vulnerable.”
‘He Is Vicious’
Efforts by his enemies to replace Morgan could grow more intense this year because Morgan is more powerful.
In June, delegates to the state Republican Party convention in Charlotte passed a resolution condemning Morgan for “betrayal” in the deal to become co-speaker. Another resolution condemned Morgan and four of his supporters.
At the time of the convention, there was talk by some of Morgan’s adversaries about recruiting someone to run against him in a primary.
At the time, Morgan said Rep. Frank Mitchell of Iredell County had tried for years to get someone to run against him. Morgan said then that Rep. Sam Ellis of Wake County was one of the “extremists” who orchestrated the resolutions against him at the convention in June.
Ellis and Mitchell said in interviews that they were not aware of anyone being in Moore County recently to recruit someone to run against Morgan. Both said they did not know who might be backing the person financially. But both said they would gladly support an opponent if someone emerges.
“Richard can’t get by with what he’s done,” Mitchell said. “It’s a sin. He is vicious. I intend to do my share to help [his opponent] win. It is unbelievable what he has gotten away with.”
Mitchell said the redistricting plan Morgan pushed will hurt Republicans and help Democrats. He said it will pit some Republicans against each other. Mitchell is now in a district with Republican Rep. George Holmes. Mitchell said he has moved his residency across a precinct line into a district in which he will oppose Rep. Julia Howard, an ally of Morgan.
“I am going to beat her socks off,” Mitchell said.
‘Delusions of Grandeur’
Morgan’s enemies have also accused him of supporting tax increases. They say he has abandoned his conservative Republican principles in pursuit of personal power.
Morgan said nothing could be further from the truth. He said the legislature actually reduced some taxes.
“This is not about personalities,” Ellis said. “What should be the controlling factor here is the party platform. He has abandoned that.
“He has made himself despised. We can no longer tolerate him as representative of our party. If what the Moore County Republican Party stands for is what Richard stands for, that is fine. I don’t think that is the case. It is not my job to tell people in Moore County how to vote. But they need to know what Richard is doing up here.
“Richard is a brilliant politician and is very masterful a giving the appearance of one thing and doing the total opposite…The Democrats pat him on the head like a little dog. Richard has delusions of grandeur and they [Democrats] are using that to the destroy the Republican Party.”
Ellis has accused Morgan of trying to put a stranglehold on his enemies’ political fundraising by threatening groups that give them money with killing legislation they want passed.
Morgan said he has never made such a threat.
“I would hope those groups would not waste their money on such ineffective candidates,” Morgan said, “and that is what these people are — ineffective.”
Morgan said that when negotiations began for the speakership in an evenly divided House, Rep. Leo Daughtry, one of Morgan’s longtime foes, was about ready to turn the House over to the Democrats.
Morgan Stands on Record
He said Daughtry’s group, which includes Ellis and Mitchell, was ready to support Black as the speaker and give Holmes the office of speaker pro tem.
“That position doesn’t have a gavel,” Morgan said. “They are just mad because their guy lost and another Republican won.”
Morgan said he is proud of the accomplishments that were made by the General Assembly this year, including a redistricting plan that he says will help Republicans and the recent special session on job creation.
“I am completely happy with the hard work we did this year on the budget,” he said.
Regardless of who his opponent might be in primary, Morgan said he is confident that his base of support in Moore County remains strong.
“The people of Moore County know my record,” Morgan said. “Let them bring it on.”
