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Recent News & Articles

The Charlotte Observer

Medicare ad heats up 9th District race

By Jim Morrill

Nov. 1, 2012

North Carolina’s most expensive congressional race is winding to a close in the 9th District with more sniping between candidates with sharply different views of government.

Republican Robert Pittenger and Democrat Jennifer Roberts have taken to the airwaves, phone lines and mailboxes in the final days of their campaign to replace longtime Republican U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick.

Pittenger, who has given his campaign $2.3 million, has loaned it another $380,000, including $50,000 last week. Only four House candidates in the country have spent more of their own money, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

But Pittenger also has gotten $650,000 from individuals. That’s more than the $525,000 Roberts has raised from all sources in her campaign in the Republican-leaning district.

Roberts, a Mecklenburg County commissioner, is on the air with ads accusing her opponent of supporting cuts in Medicare benefits. Pittenger, the ad says, would “leave you on your own with the insurance companies and that will cost you over $6,000 a year.”

The claim is based on a study by Harvard economist David Cutler of Medicare changes proposed by U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, a Wisconsin Republican and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s vice presidential running mate. But the Congressional Budget Analysis has not published an analysis of Ryan’s most recent Medicare plan.

Pittenger called the attack a “typical untrue scare tactic.”

“The Romney-Ryan plan for Medicare which I support does not reduce any payments to seniors,” he said. “There is no change in Medicare to anyone 55 years or older. And those under 55 will have an option for a premium support with options for coverage through the private market, or remain on Medicare.”

Former GOP Gov. Jim Martin has come to Pittenger’s defense. He recorded automated calls that accused Democrats of “trying to scare us seniors about Medicare.”

Pittenger is running a TV ad that features supporters offering testimonials on his behalf. He’s also sending out mailers that accuse Roberts of supporting an energy tax. They say she would be “a rubber stamp for (Democratic leader) Nancy Pelosi’s partisan agenda.”

Roberts said Pittenger “is distorting the truth.”

“As a candidate for Congress,” she said, “I have called for cutting taxes on middle-class families…. I support creating jobs by expanding clean energy and reducing harmful carbon pollution.”

 

The Charlotte Observer

For Congress: Watt, Roberts and Hudson

Congress makes, passes federal laws; who is elected matters

Posted: Saturday, Oct. 13, 2012

Today, the editorial board begins publishing the board’s recommendations for the Nov. 6 elections, starting with area congressional races. Our choices are based on a number of factors including the candidates’ experience and positions on issues, as well as our assessment of their character.

Whom we elect to Congress is important. U.S. House members help make federal laws. Their actions have direct impact on citizens’ pocketbooks, safety and health and welfare.

Voting is a right, a privilege and a responsibility in our democracy. Making an informed choice is key to carrying out that responsibility well. The editorial board’s recommendations aim to provide voters with information to help them do so.

CONGRESS, DISTRICT 9: ROBERTS

The winner of this contest will replace 9-term Republican U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick, who unexpectedly announced this year she wouldn’t seek reelection. Her decision spawned a flood of candidates in the GOP primary, and a nasty fight for the Republican nomination.

The GOP primary was the most contentious of any area race, with most of the vitriol taking place between frontrunners Jim Pendergraph, a Mecklenburg County commissioner, and former state Sen. Robert Pittenger. This editorial board wound up retracting an endorsement of Pendergraph in the May primary after he misled the board on his stand on immigration and joined with fringe “birthers” to question President Obama’s citizenship. We endorsed neither Pendergraph nor Pittenger in the runoff in July either.

Now, Pittenger faces Mecklenburg County Commissioner Jennifer Roberts and Libertarian Curtis Campbell in the November general election. Normally, in this conservative district, we’d favor the Republican who might best represent the interests of the majority of the district’s voters. For that reason, we often recommended Myrick even though we didn’t share her views on many issues.

We can’t in good conscience recommend Pittenger. The real estate investor was largely responsible for the mudslinging snipe fest that the GOP primary became. More than that, troubling questions have been raised about whether he used his position as a lawmaker for personal gain. Pittenger never gave a sound explanation for why it was OK for him to vote for a bill in the state Senate that raised the value of land he owned. We’re concerned that as a congressman, he would work mostly for himself, not his constituents. We also worry that he’s too far right and unwilling to compromise – and those characteristics represent only the extreme of his party.

Jennifer Roberts offers voters a viable alternative. As a Mecklenburg commissioner and former chair of the board, she has proven to be a thoughtful public servant who is attentive to her constituents – no matter what their party affiliation. Even one of the most conservative commissioners, Bill James, said that though she is a liberal, she “is no ideologue, she can see both sides of an issue.”

Roberts sees herself as “pragmatic.” As a commissioner, she says she raised taxes twice, cut taxes twice and kept the rate the same four times. She also notes that she has voted with Republicans on the board when other Democrats would not: “I know I’ll be representing the whole district. I’m willing to compromise,” she said. In Congress, she wants to be someone who helps break the stalemate and works in a bipartisan way to get things done.

She sees flaws in the Affordable Care Act, calling it more health insurance reform than health care reform. She also has issues with the Obama administration’s approach to education reform, saying too much focus is on high-stakes testing. She’s developed a jobs plan she would push if elected that focuses on tax credits, renewable energy and exports.

Roberts’ commitment to public service is evident. We believe she would work on behalf of the whole district. We recommend Jennifer Roberts.

CONGRESS, DISTRICT 8: HUDSON

This district, long conservative leaning, is even more so after the Republican-dominated N.C. legislature redrew district lines last year. Forty-four percent are registered Democrats, down from 49.7 percent in 2010, and 33 percent are registered Republicans, up from 27.6 percent. But the unaffiliated, now 21 percent of registered voters, lean Republican as well.

So two-term incumbent Democrat Larry Kissell is vulnerable. He’s facing Republican Richard Hudson, a former congressional aide to Robin Hayes, the man Kissell unseated in 2008. Yet in this race, both candidates can claim conservative bonafides. That, however may not be an asset for Kissell.

Kissell makes a logical case that his views reflect those of many in his district. The trouble is his voting record has leaned so much to the right that he is considered by some Democrats to be a Democrat in name only. One rating group says his record is more Republican than that of fellow N.C. congressman Walter Jones, an actual Republican. Kissell has rejected key Democratic initiatives, refused to endorse his party’s nominee – President Barack Obama – for president, and passed on attending the party’s convention last month just miles away in Charlotte.

His voting gyrations have made him unpredictable, and not in a good way. Voters don’t know what they’re getting. Many who voted for him hoping for an independent-minded populist now see a faux Republican instead.

We have concerns about Hudson. Some of his views track with the far right of his party. We don’t agree with his stands on gay marriage, abortion rights and health care reform. We worry that his tax policies will unfairly benefit the wealthy at a cost to many others in his struggling district. And he got caught up in the foolishness of challenging President Obama’s birthplace, which he wisely admitted was a mistake and from which he backed away.

He is personable. He says he will focus more on district needs than party dogma if elected, and aims to build relationships across party lines and work collaboratively with Democrats and Republicans to get things done – something he says he did as chief of staff for Hayes.

We’ll likely disagree with Hudson often. But we don’t agree with Kissell on much either. And because his record in Congress has been lackluster, we don’t think he has earned a third term. Whether Hudson can do a better job is debatable. But in a race that pits two men with Republican views, we’ll give the nod to the one who actually places an “R” beside his name: Richard Hudson.

CONGRESS, DISTRICT 12: WATT

Incumbent Mel Watt should easily win his 11th term in Congress. Republican challenger Jack Brosch, owner of a computer consulting business, has not mounted a persuasive campaign against the incumbent. A member of the tea party, Brosch has said he doesn’t expect to win and offers no substantive strategies for tackling issues.

Watt, who helped get a major patent reform bill passed in Congress – one of the few bills that got bipartisan support – is smart and still hardworking. He has earned reelection.  Article

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The Charlotte Observer

Roberts and Pittenger vie for 9th District seat

Jennifer Roberts wants to become the first Democrat in 60 years to represent the 9th District

By Jim Morrill
Posted: Saturday, Oct. 06, 2012

To political pundits, North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District is a virtual lock for Republicans.

They’ve represented it since 1952. There hasn’t even been a close race in a quarter-century. Only one of the state’s 13 U.S. House districts has a higher percentage of registered Republicans. The New York Times labels the 9th “solid Republican.”

So why is Democrat Jennifer Roberts running?

“That sense of obligation to your community, to leave it better than you found it,” she says. “I feel it really deeply.”

Plus, she adds: “I like a challenge.”

Roberts, 52, is a four-term Mecklenburg County commissioner and former chairwoman. She’s running for the seat being vacated by Republican U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick, who has held it since 1995. The district includes parts of Mecklenburg, Union and Iredell counties.

Roberts faces former state Sen. Robert Pittenger, who won a 10-man primary and a hotly contested runoff against her fellow commissioner, Jim Pendergraph.

In Pittenger, Roberts faces someone who has raised more money than any House candidate in the state and spent more of his own – $1.9 million – than any in the country.

By contrast, she raised $250,000 through June. Aides expect that to rise to more than $400,000 this month. But the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which spends money on races where it believes Democrats have a shot, is sitting out the 9th.

None of that is lost on Republicans.

“I know everybody thinks he’s a shoo-in, and he is,” U.S. Rep. Tom Price of Georgia told two dozen Pittenger supporters last week at Myers Park Country Club. “But he continues to need your help.”

Roberts has surprised people before.

In 2006, after a poll found her the least-known of six county candidates running at-large, she led the field to become board chairwoman in just her second term. Now the lanky, 6-foot-2 former high school athlete appears undaunted.

“One of the things that made me play harder in volleyball or basketball,” she says, “was knowing you were up against a really good team.”

‘Jobs listening tour’

Wearing plastic safety glasses, Roberts tours the floor of MMDi, a metal fabrication plant near the Union County line. She quizzes company president Michael Edwards about everything from the cost of regulations and health care to workforce and transportation needs.

It’s part of a “jobs listening tour” that has taken her to nearly a dozen companies as she travels the district talking about jobs and meeting voters.

Seven out of 10 voters have seen her name on ballots. They live in Mecklenburg County, where she was first elected to the county board in 2004.

But the portion of Mecklenburg in the 9th District wraps from the northern towns and suburbs south along the Catawba River into the southeast. There, unlike the county as a whole, Republicans outnumber Democrats.

Most of Mecklenburg’s African American voters, traditionally loyal Democrats, are in the 12th District, represented for 20 years by Charlotte Democrat Mel Watt.

That’s one reason that while President Barack Obama carried Mecklenburg County with 62 percent of the vote in 2008, Republican John McCain won the 9th District with 54 percent.

Pittenger, then a candidate for lieutenant governor, carried the district even more handily with 58 percent.

“It’s very hard to beat raw demographics,” says Democratic consultant Dan McCorkle of Charlotte.

By all accounts, Roberts is working hard to do that.

As chairwoman of the county board for five years, she turned a part-time job into a full-time one, sometimes spending 60 hours a week on county business. She hopes that work ethic, and relationships built over eight years, translate into votes like that of Stallings Mayor Lynda Paxton, a Republican.

“I will cross party lines when there’s a better choice and Jennifer Roberts has earned my respect,” she wrote on Facebook, according to the Monroe Enquirer Journal.

Working across the aisle

Roberts was born in Raleigh and lived in Pittsburgh and Atlanta before her family moved to Charlotte when she was 11. She attended McClintock Junior High and East Mecklenburg High School.

At East Meck, she won eight varsity letters in three sports, and captained the track, volleyball and basketball teams her senior year. She piled up athletic awards and academic honors. She was valedictorian of her class of 580 and winner of a prestigious Morehead Scholarship to UNC Chapel Hill.

She went on to earn a master’s in history from the University of Toronto and another in international affairs from Johns Hopkins. She entered the Foreign Service and served in the Dominican Republic and Mexico.

Since she and her husband returned to Charlotte in 1993, she has worked as a banker, director of the Charlotte International Cabinet and a professor at UNC Charlotte.

Politically, she calls herself a common-sense pragmatist. She hopes she can appeal to more voters like Paxton regardless of their party.

“I don’t think it’s about party ideology this year,” she says. “(Voters) want people who are going to roll up their sleeves and work together with Republicans, Democrats and unaffiliateds and not be retreating into partisan camps.”

Last year, however, the county board’s four Republicans joined maverick Democrat – now independent – Harold Cogdell to oust her as chairwoman. Pendergraph said at the time that not only was Roberts seen as more liberal than Cogdell but Republicans wanted “someone in the middle who will listen to all sides.”

“Republicans have good ideas too,” he said.

Roberts calls the ouster an example of “back-room politics” fueled by self-interest.

“What they did is exactly what’s wrong with Washington,” she says.

Karen Bentley, who supports Pittenger, says Roberts is “very open to working across the aisle.”

“She did a fair job of leading the board but at the end of the day she’s a partisan like we all are,” Bentley says. “She worked extremely hard and was very dedicated.”

In Roberts’ time as a commissioner, the board raised property taxes twice and cut them twice. With Republican Bill James, she worked to give county employees more choices in their charitable deductions.

“She is not an ideologue,” James says. “She can see both sides to an issue. But I would also agree that she would acknowledge that in her heart she’s a liberal.”

Facing long odds

Nancy Anderson represents the kind of hurdle Roberts faces.

A former GOP mayor of Weddington, she backed Pendergraph in the GOP primary and calls Roberts “one of my favorite people” and “a very committed public official.” In the primary, she says, there was “a very strong ‘Anybody but Pittenger’ sentiment.”

“Now,” she says, “I think those Republicans are going to say ‘Anybody but a Democrat.’ ”

Pittenger calls Roberts “an advocate of President Obama’s failed policies, including Obamacare.”

“The irresponsible spending spree and oppressive government regulation has got to stop,” he said in a statement. “We need fiscally sound leadership to create jobs.”

Roberts argues that she’s demonstrated fiscally sound leadership by helping the county keep its AAA bond rating, cut taxes and trim its budget. In a recent debate, she said she would use the Affordable Care Act as a starting point and “tweak it,” though she offered no details.

But in the 9th District, the odds against Roberts are long.

“If we were talking about a race five to 10 years from now in a more Democratic year, there would be a more legitimate shot for Jennifer Roberts,” says David Wasserman, an analyst with the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.

“The best thing that has happened to her campaign is Charlotte’s new Whole Foods Market. Those are exactly the kind of Republicans Roberts is counting on winning over. … But there may not be enough of those.”

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The Charlotte Observer

9th District debate

KEVIN SIERS CARTOON
Posted: Friday, Sep. 28, 2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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wfae.org

Pittenger, Roberts Differ On Health Care, Transportation

By MICHAEL TOMSIC

The two candidates who aim to represent North Carolina’s 9th District Congressional seat held their first debate Wednesday. Republican Robert Pittenger and Democrat Jennifer Roberts are running to fill the open seat created by the retirement of Republican Sue Myrick.

Pittenger is a former three-term state senator, and Roberts is finishing her fourth term as a Mecklenburg County Commissioner. A small crowd turned out at the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce to watch the debate.

It was civil. This comment by Roberts was about as close as either candidate went toward taking a shot:

“I think that my opponent is missing a very key part of fixed rail construction, and that is the additional development it brings along the rail line,” Roberts said. (Not exactly a screaming match, right?)

But Roberts’ point there was one of several clear policy differences between the two candidates. She put a big emphasis on funding public transit (think: light rail and buses), while Pittenger said that money should be used to improve roads.

Another difference was on President Obama’s health care law. Here’s Pittenger:

“I see the Affordable Health Care Act as one that’s not going to be affordable,” he said.

He wants to repeal it. Roberts does not.

“It’s great that you can get insured with preexisting conditions, so there are some good things,” she said. “You don’t throw out the whole process.”

But there were things they agreed on, too. Both think the nation’s fiscal cliff should absolutely be avoided. That’s the tax increases and spending cuts set for January if Congress doesn’t act, and many economists have said it would be a massive hit to the U.S. economy. Also, both agreed that too much regulation is a bad thing.

After the debate, Luther Moore, who chairs a Charlotte Chamber committee, said he likes both candidates.

“They’re both very highly competent people,” Moore said. “They have two different worldviews, and so how you vote depends on what your worldview is.”

Moore wouldn’t say whom he’ll vote for. But he did say he’s a businessman, and he likes that Pittenger is, too. The candidate started his own real estate company a few decades ago.

Pittenger said after the debate there’s a clear difference between him and Roberts.

“Ms. Roberts has been a traditional liberal, so she believes in a bigger government, as does Mr. Obama,” Pittenger said.

But Roberts said that characterization is off the mark. Here’s how she describes herself when she’s meeting people in the district:

“I say, ‘I’m an American.’ I think that one of the problems we have right now is people are just identifying with their parties and nothing else,” Roberts said.

The 9th Congressional District’s voters have sent a Republican to the U.S. House in every election of the past 50 years. After redistricting in 2010, it may be even safer for the GOP. Republican legislators got to draw the new boundaries, and they took out some registered Democrats and increased the number of independents.

Listen to wfae.org’s clip

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wcnc.com Local News

Roberts, Pittenger square off in District 9 debate

By DIANNE GALLAGHER / NBC Charlotte

Posted:  September 26, 2012 at 6:19 PM

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — For the first time in 17 years, there was not an incumbent participating in the District nine debate Wednesday in uptown Charlotte.

Republican Robert Pittenger and Democrat Jennifer Roberts faced off for the first time at the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce in front of a small crowd.

The two rarely addressed one another, but often disagreed on topics ranging from the Affordable Care Act to unions in North Carolina.

The candidates had different visions for the future of the district’s infrastructure too. Roberts passionately supported funding public transit systems like the light rail while Pittenger prefers that money be spent on expanding roads and highways.

The two will meet again in October.  A third candidate for District nin, Libertarian Curtis Stone, will join them at that debate.

wcnc.com Video

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The Charlotte Observer

U.S. House foes debate

By Jim Morrill
Posted: Wednesday, Sep. 26, 2012

Pittenger, Roberts disagree on rail, health care, deficit

In the first debate of their congressional race, Democrat Jennifer Roberts and Republican Robert Pittenger disagreed about rail funding, health care and the deficit-reduction plan co-authored by Charlotte’s Erskine Bowles.

But it was a dig from Roberts that punctuated the 30-minute debate at the Charlotte Chamber.  “I do not plan to use Congress as my private investment club,” she said, referring to Pittenger’s real estate investment business.  “Isn’t it funny where people go when they’re losing,” Pittenger told a reporter. “They’ve got to try to take a shot.”

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aShortChronicle

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Is Pittenger in Trouble in NC-9?

Today, I did a little precinct walking in a heavily Republican precint, and one thing seemed rather clear to me.   Robert Pittenger’s hyper-negative primary campaign against Jim Pendergraph may very well come back to haunt him. If the totally unscientific results from the many conversations I had this afternoon hold anywhere close to the actual results, Pittenger’s primary victory could turn out to be of the pyrrhic variety.

There were two consistent variations from straight party voting intentions in the answers to the survey questions being asked. One was straight party Democratic voting except where these voters chose Pat McCrory over Democrat Walter Dalton.   The other were Republicans wavering when picking a choice for Congress in NC-9.  Many, many were still ‘undecided’ rather than going with Pittenger.

Some in the second group were very clear as to why – Pittenger’s negative primary campaign.

Here are some numbers. When Pittenger was on the ballot in ’08 running for Lt Governor, he received 195,777 votes in the current NC-9 district.  That’s probably his ceiling.  Of those, 97,253 were straight ticket votes. There were 72,774 straight Democratic ticket votes in that same district.  My guess is that 24k difference will be much smaller this time around.

That may not be enough to cost him the election.  However when you add to that the facts of Jennifer Roberts having high name recognition in Mecklenburg, Pittenger spending the first half of the year viciously attacking a popular figure in Jim Pendergraph, and the old mantra that “all politics is local”, those could all add up to trouble.

One thing to look at when this election is over will be the number of undervotes in this race.  That will give some sense of how many Republicans just couldn’t pull the lever for Pittenger on election day.

aShortChronicle covers local politics, events and issues in the Davidson, NC area.

Posted by Rick Short at 7:54 PM

Davidson News.Net

Hugh McColl endorses Roberts in 9th district race

Posted on 09 August 2012.

Mecklenburg County Commssioner Jennifer Roberts has picked up a big-name endorsement in her run for the 9th Congressional District seat: Ex-Bank of America chief Hugh McColl.

Mr. McColl apparently has been paying close attention to the race, and previously had endorsed county commissioner and former Sheriff Jim Pendergraph in the Republican primary for the race. Mr. Pendergraph lost the primary to former state Sen. Robert Pittenger.

With Mr. Pendergraph gone, Mr. McColl has thrown his weight behind the Democrat, Ms. Roberts. (Ms. Roberts did not face a primary.)

“Jennifer Roberts has a proven record of working to make the Charlotte area a great place to do business,” Mr. McColl said in a press release. “I know Jennifer and trust her to do what is right for North Carolina businesses and our community.”

 

The Enquirer Journal

Paxton crosses party lines, endorses Roberts

by Heather Smith

Aug. 2, 2012

At least one Union County Republican has endorsed someone other than Robert Pittenger for the Ninth District congressional race.

Stallings mayor Lynda Paxton has publicly endorsed Pittenger’s Democratic opponent.

“Yes, I’m a Republican but I could never bring myself to vote for Robert Pittenger in November,” Paxton wrote on her Facebook page. “I will cross party lines when there’s a better choice and Jennifer Roberts has earned my respect.”

Paxton said she admired Roberts for her work as a Mecklenburg County Commissioner, addressing Stalling residents’ concerns about a nearby medical waste incinerator.

“It appeared that there had been lenient enforcement of violations and she met with a group of citizens from the area to hear our concerns,” Paxton later wrote in an email. “I’m not sure what she said or did, but things changed for the better immediately.”

Roberts also supported an effort to reimburse annexed Stalling residents of Mecklenburg County in 2005 who had been taxed for an entire year’s worth of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police coverage but received only six months of actual service.

“There were 104 families in Shannamara affected by a midyear annexation which meant they were billed by Mecklenburg County for police services for the entire year but no services were provided by the CMPD. After the annexation, Stalling PD served the area and residents were covered by their town taxes,” she wrote.

Several Union County Republicans backed Jim Pendergraph, Pittenger’s opponent for the Republican nomination in this spring’s primary election. Pittenger drew criticism for voting in favor of annexing land his company owned into Waxhaw while he was a state senator. . .

 

Campaign News

Jennifer Roberts outraises Pittenger in NC-9^th Congressional Race

July 24, 2012

(Charlotte, NC) Last week’s financial disclosure reports unveiled a surprising contrast between Mecklenburg County Commissioner Jennifer Roberts and self-funding millionaire candidate Robert Pittenger. Roberts apparently outraised Pittenger from individual donors, against all conventional wisdom.

“I am grateful for the outpouring of community support our campaign has received,” said Roberts. “We have all seen the corrosive effect that self-funding, insider politics has had on Washington where people buy influence for self gain and forget the community they serve. I will continue to work hard and serve this community honestly and selflessly.”

Roberts has served eight years on the Mecklenburg County Commission, five as Chairman, where she has worked as a strong, independent voice for North Carolina families. She has a proven record of reaching across the aisle and working with all groups to create jobs, strengthen our education system and improve health care.

Recent fundraising reports show US Congressional candidate Jennifer Roberts in North Carolina’s 9^th District (parts of Mecklenburg, Iredell and Union counties) raised more funds in the second quarter from the community than her opponent, Robert Pittenger (not counting contributions from self).

Jennifer Roberts raised approximately $20,000 more from individuals in the community than the largely self-funded Pittenger.

 

Campaign News

North Carolina Families Versus Washington Insider,

A Tale of Two Disclosure Reports

July 20, 2012

Recent fundraising reports show US Congressional candidate Jennifer Roberts in North Carolina’s 9^th District (parts of Mecklenburg, Iredell and Union counties), is busy assembling deep community support with 99 percent of her contributions coming from individuals, mostly in the Charlotte area. In contrast, her opponent, Robert Pittenger, has reportedly spent more of his own money than any other congressional candidate in the country, accounting for more than 83 percent of his total contributions. Only 16 percent of his funds have come from other individuals.

Roberts has raised more than $250,000 so far, with more than 90 percent from North Carolina. Her strong community support is a result of her selfless public service and transparency. This stands in stark contrast to Pittenger’s record of self funding and his history of using his Senate seat to further his business interests, raising deep concerns about his motives for seeking higher political office.

“I think these disclosures draw a perfect contrast to what we have been saying, that there is a crystal clear contrast between Robert Pittenger’s campaign and our campaign,” said Roberts. “Pittenger represents more of the same deep-pocketed, self-funding, Washington DC insider politics. These are the same kinds of politics that have broken Washington and put our economy in a ditch, while our campaign is supported by hard-working North Carolina families and is focused on serving our community.”

Roberts has served eight years on the Mecklenburg County Commission, five as Chairman, where she has worked as a strong, independent voice for North Carolina families. She has a proven record of reaching across the aisle and working with all groups to create jobs, strengthen our education system and improve health care.

 

The Charlotte Observer

Democrat Jennifer Roberts cites ‘a stark contrast’ with GOP’s Robert Pittenger

She says his plan would reduce benefits to seniors; he says her message is ‘distortion’

By Jim Morrill

Posted: Thursday, July 19, 2012

A day after a Republican runoff set the field in the 9th Congressional District, Democrat Jennifer Roberts Wednesday sought to draw distinctions with her new rival.

Meanwhile, a new report shows she quietly raised more than $250,000 through June, most of it from Charlotte supporters.

Speaking outside a senior center, Roberts said there’s “a stark contrast” between her and Republican Robert Pittenger, who beat Jim Pendergraph in Tuesday’s GOP runoff. Libertarian Curtis Campbell also is running.

Roberts chose the senior center to underscore her support for what she called “good, affordable health care.”

“It is disappointing that … Pittenger wants to drastically reduce benefits for seniors,” she said. “Pittenger has the wrong priorities: doubling health care cost for North Carolina seniors while protecting tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy and protecting taxpayer giveaways for big oil companies.”

Pittenger responded by saying her statement “shows the distortion of Democrats.”

Both base their claims on the spending plan proposed by GOP Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, chairman of the House Budget Committee. Pittenger likes it. Roberts doesn’t.

Ryan’s plan would gradually raise the Medicare eligibility age to 67 by 2034. It would cap Medicare spending growth and turn Medicaid, the federal health program for the poor, over to the states in the form of a federal block grant for each state.

His budget would give future Medicare beneficiaries – people now under 55 — money to buy either a private health plan or a government-administered plan through a new Medicare exchange.

Pittenger said it was Democrats, not Republicans, who threatened Medicare.

“The Democrats took $500 billion out of Medicare to pay for Obamacare,” he said, “and the Republicans restored that money in the House budget.”

According to PolitiFact, the Affordable Care Act – called “Obamacare” by critics – doesn’t take $500 billion out of the current Medicare budget – but attempts to slow the program’s growth. It would cut $500 billion in projected spending over a decade from reimbursements to providers, not by trimming benefits. Overall, Medicare spending would still rise.

Pittenger has said he would address entitlements in part by gradually raising the retirement age, but not for people currently over 55.

‘Ready to compete’

A new report released this week showed Roberts has raised more than $253,000, almost all of it from individuals, much of it from women.

Her donors included Gov. Bev Perdue, former Observer publisher Rolfe Neill, former Charlotte Motor Speedway President H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler and textile executive Crandall Bowles.

She had $158,000 on hand at the end of June. That was more than the $90,000 Pittenger had in early July.

But Pittenger, a real estate investor, spent more than $2.1 million of his own money in the primary.

He’s not expected to be outspent in the fall.

“We are ready to compete,” Roberts said. “I have been outspent before and still been successful.”

 

The Charlotte Observer, Letters to the Editor

Avoid Pittenger, Pendergraph ‘antics’; vote for Roberts

Following the antics of Robert Pittenger and Jim Pendergraph as they campaign for the 9th District Congressional seat, I am reminded of two boys throwing sand at each other while playing in a sandbox.

Fortunately, for those of us who reside in the 9th District, we do not have to settle for either of these silly candidates. We will have the option of voting for Jennifer Roberts, the grownup in the race. That’s what I plan to do.

Mark West

Charlotte

 

The Charlotte Observer

Some voters in 9th District runoff not happy with candidates

Pendergraph, Pittenger not letting up for 9th District seat, to the dismay of voters

By David Perlmutt

Posted: Monday, Jun. 25, 2012

Many devout Republicans in the U.S. House’s 9th District are paying attention to the July 17 Republican runoff – and they’re not exactly inspired by what they’re hearing. . .

. . . Alice Rogers, a Republican judge in Charlotte’s precinct 91, had planned to support Pittenger – until he started with his attack ads.

“Now Pendergraph is attacking back and it seems like two children fighting on the playground,” Rogers said. “It just seems very immature.”

The fighting, she said, could keep voters at home.

Or force them to cross party lines and vote for Democratic county commissioner Jennifer Roberts, or Libertarian Curtis Campbell. That’s what Republican Jim Van Meerten is considering:

“Neither one of these guys are telling me what they’re going to do,” he said. “I think Jennifer Roberts has done a nice job on the (county) commission. She’s coming out addressing issues. They are not.

“She just might get my vote.”

 

Campaign News

“Teachers for Roberts” Launches on Facebook

North Carolina based teacher and parent group backs Roberts congressional bid

June 21

(Charlotte, NC) Teachers and educators interested in improving our schools are forming a group to show their support for U.S. Congressional candidate Jennifer Roberts and her campaign for Congress in North Carolina’s 9^th district.

“Jennifer Roberts has been a strong and consistent supporter of our kids’ schools,” said Glenda Blaisdell-Buck, a retired teacher. “She is a former teacher, a mom of two kids in North Carolina public schools, and because of her eight years of service to Mecklenburg County, Jennifer has spent a lot of time in the classroom and understands what it takes to attract the best teachers to North Carolina, keep them, and that we need to fight against further budget cuts to our schools.”

Roberts is a former High School math teacher, a tutor at Sedgefield Elementary and mother of two teenagers in Charlotte-Mecklenburg public schools.

“As a former teacher I can tell you firsthand that they have one of the hardest – and most important – jobs out there,” said Roberts. “A vital step to continuing to bring good jobs to North Carolina is making sure that we are doing everything possible to make sure every child in North Carolina gets the best possible education, to ensure the brightest possible future for them – and for all of our families.”

A Facebook page has been formed, Teachers for Roberts, where supporters can share resources and information.

Jennifer Roberts has served eight years on the Mecklenburg County Commission, five as Chairman, where she has worked as a strong, independent voice for North Carolina families. She has a proven record of reaching across the aisle and working with all groups to create jobs, strengthen our education system and improve health care.

As a student, Jennifer was conscientious and focused. Today, I see in her a woman of substance. Charlotte is fortunate to have Jennifer Roberts invested in the wellbeing of our city and state.
—Susan Smith, Jennifer Roberts’ 11^th Grade English teacher, East Mecklenburg High School.

 

Campaign News

Jennifer Roberts Meets with Energy Business Leaders

Focus on creating good-paying local jobs

June 15

(Charlotte, NC)  U.S. Congressional candidate Jennifer Roberts continues her focus on creating good-paying local jobs in a meeting with energy business leaders on Monday, June 18.

“I have been a strong and consistent supporter of local efforts to grow energy businesses in our region,” said Roberts, “And I look forward to working with business leaders to maintain and expand the 27,000 energy jobs we now have in the Charlotte area.”

North Carolina ranked number eight on a list of states for clean energy job creation from 2003-2010, according to a report by Environmental Entrepreneurs. The Charlotte area has benefitted from recently-created energy jobs from companies including Siemens, Celgard and SPX.

“We must accelerate the positive,” said Roberts, “and continue to focus on promoting our region and workforce to companies throughout the world.”

Roberts said green energy jobs can be especially beneficial to a region and have a proven, positive ripple effect throughout the economy. She noted that green energy jobs have grown more than twice as fast as jobs in other areas from 2003 to 2010.

Roberts said she is the only candidate in the race with an proven record of creating jobs, having supported efforts to bring nearly 5,000 new jobs to the Charlotte area.

“I have demonstrated an ability to unite behind a common goal and work to solve the problems that face the region, working with businesses, community leaders and families,” said Roberts.  “And I am excited to take this common-sense, hard-working approach to Washington.”

Roberts has served eight years on the Mecklenburg County Commission, five as Chairman, where she has worked as a strong, independent voice for North Carolina families. She has a proven record of reaching across the aisle and working with all groups to create jobs, strengthen our education system and improve health care.

Campaign News

Roberts Focused on Job Creation, Tours Local Training and Recruiting Centers

June 11, 2012

US Congressional candidate Jennifer Roberts toured job training and recruiting centers to hear more about local efforts that help match employers and job seekers.

“We have a great workforce in the Piedmont,” said Roberts, “and we need to do all we can to make sure existing and potential companies are confident they can get the best available talent.”

 

Campaign News

Roberts Officially Launches Congressional Campaign with Campaign Kickoff Last Night

June 4, 2012

More than 200 friends and supporters of Jennifer Roberts turned out Monday evening to officially kick off her campaign for the North Carolina 9^th Congressional District including the Charlotte area.

“I am humbled by the show of support from North Carolina families,” said Roberts, who has served the past eight years as a Mecklenburg County Commissioner. “And I am excited to get our campaign under way and to talk about the issues that matter to hard-working North Carolina families – our need to have someone represent all North Carolina families, the need to create more good jobs with good benefits, and the need to protect our schools and our environment.”

Roberts’ husband, Charlotte attorney Manley Roberts, introduced her to the overflow crowd, noting that in addition to earning numerous academic achievements while growing up in South Charlotte, she was the first woman to earn the Phil Hughston award for best athlete in the county, receiving the honor from the legendary Jesse Owens.

“In addition to being a hard-working and dedicated public servant,” said Manley Roberts, “she is also a terrific wife and mother.”

Jennifer Roberts pointed to her record of hard work on behalf of the community and her willingness to reach across the aisle to get things done for the people she represents.

“Too many Washington politicians ignore the will of the people and spend their time fighting and trying to tear down each other,” said Roberts. “We don’t want a Congress that fights, we want a Congress that works!”

 

Campaign News

Roberts Shows Support for Military and Their Families

May 21, 2012

Jennifer Roberts issued a heartfelt thanks to our military service members, veterans and their families at the closing ceremonies of Military Appreciation Week

“We owe an immeasurable debt of gratitude to those who have given their lives for our freedom and safety,” said Roberts. “As the daughter of a Naval officer and granddaughter of a career Army officer, I know first hand the sacrifice involved with our men and women in uniform.  Our debt of gratitude extends also to their families.”

 

The Charlotte Observer

In N.C., GOP Eyes House gains

By Franco Ordoñez
Washington Correspondent

Posted: Wednesday, Apr. 18, 2012

But Democrats say keep an eye out for Democratic Mecklenburg County Commissioner Jennifer Roberts who is seeking to steal the seat held by Republicans for six decades.

…Thousands of Iredell residents who called Republican U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx with their problems will soon be reaching out to Mecklenburg County Commissioners Chairman Jennifer Roberts or one of 11 GOP candidates seeking to replace U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick.

 

Creative Loafing
Jennifer Roberts, the underdog

April 17, 2012

She’s no stranger to competition, but she’s also the only Democrat vying for the 9th Congressional District. Can she win?

by Joanne Spataro

Jennifer Roberts is an athlete at heart whose endurance might be enough to prepare her for the race of a lifetime.

The Mecklenburg County Commissioner is the lone Democrat among 10 Republicans and one Libertarian vying for Republican incumbent Sue Myrick’s vacated congressional seat. The GOP has controlled the 9th District, which includes parts of Mecklenburg, Union and Gaston counties, since 1952. Without any Democratic challengers, Roberts will bypass the May primary, and her name will go directly onto November general election ballot.

To some, Roberts faces an uphill battle. But the avid volleyball player is focused on her game, even during a break in the action. On a clear Saturday morning in early March, she took a walk on the Greenway in Charlotte, marveling at the stream running along the path and commenting on the frisky muskrat bobbing in and out of the water. “You can support wildlife even in the center of the city,” she said.

Eric Heberlig, an associate professor in the political science department at UNC Charlotte, says Roberts’ chances of winning are tied to how her Republican counterparts will fare during the campaign season. “It will be less about her than the total collapse of the Republican candidate,” he said. Basically, Republican voters would reluctantly support a Democratic candidate if they looked unfavorably enough on their party’s own.

Funding may also determine the race. Heberlig said Republicans and conservative super PACs in the presidential election will play a pivotal role in congressional contests. The controversial groups can accept unlimited corporate and union contributions for election activities. Unlike traditional political action committees, super PACs can’t contribute directly to federal candidates or parties. Instead, unlimited funds can buy political advertising time or fund activities like voter canvassing.

“Even if Roberts were able to make it close, allied interest groups would flood a lot of money into this district to tip the balance to where it’s the Republicans. They wouldn’t give up this district lightly,” Heberlig said.

While the GOP has been associated with super PACs since their inception in 2010, The Washington Post reported that President Barack Obama recently approved a Democratic super PAC.

Despite the odds, Roberts doesn’t plan on throwing in the towel any time soon. “I have every plan to be in Washington next year as a congresswoman,” she said. “I would not be taking this time away from my family if I didn’t think that I could win.”

Born in Raleigh, Roberts moved to Charlotte when she was 11. She studied English literature and mathematics at UNC Chapel Hill and graduated in 1982. She went on to earn her masters in modern European history from the University of Toronto in 1986 and another in European politics and economics from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in 1988.

In 2004, Roberts started working with the Mecklenburg County Commission. She served as chairwoman from 2006 until late 2011, when current chairman Harold Cogdell, a Democrat who has since become unaffiliated, and Republicans staged a coup that voted her out, even though her term was already winding down.

When Roberts decided not to seek re-election to the commission, rumors started circulating that she would vie for the lieutenant governor position. Roberts initially said she wanted to take a break from public service to spend more time with her family, but on Feb. 13 announced she would run for Congress. What changed? “Serving is in my blood,” she said, adding she made the choice with the blessing of her husband Manley, daughter Montana, 15, and son Lee, 12.

Job creation is the centerpiece of her campaign. She said women experienced the brunt of private- (including education and healthcare) and public-sector job losses spawned from statewide budget cuts. A UNC Charlotte report, “Working Women and the Great Recession,” found that women experienced higher unemployment than men during the first quarter of 2010 in Mecklenburg County. Men were hit hardest by the recession in 2009. With that in mind, Roberts said the 9th District is ready for a progressive female voice that “understands the challenges that not just middle-class women face but women in poverty face.”

The environment is another key issue for her. Jim Garges, director of Park and Recreation at Mecklenburg County, has worked with Roberts on Greenway revitalization, land bond money and open-space protection. “In terms of elected officials, she’s one of the best in my 37-plus-year career,” he said, adding that her vast knowledge of environmental issues will translate from the state to federal level.

In the end, Roberts’ chances might not be so bad. “Typically, to have any chance at all in a district that is solidly for one party, the other party needs a challenger with political experience and name recognition,” Heberlig said. “Roberts certainly does.”

At the end of her walk along the Greenway, Roberts came out through a tunnel to the other side of Freedom Park. As the sun shone on her face, the woman who tackles 12-mile family bike rides savored the end of today’s journey. “You don’t get distracted by other things,” she said. “When you’re in a really tight tennis match or a really tight volleyball game, it’s all about the goal. It’s all about the team. It’s all about what you’ve come there to do.”

 

Statesville Record & Landmark
April 14, 2012

“When we work together we can all win…I’m not afraid of a challenge.”
-Jennifer Roberts

 

The Charlotte Observer
Roberts jumps in 9th District race

Democratic chairwoman said she planned to serve no more than eight years.

By Jim Morrill
jmorrill@charlotteobserver.com

Posted: Monday, Feb. 13, 2012

Mecklenburg County commissioner Jennifer Roberts said this afternoon that she plans to enter the 9th District Congressional race.

“I just think people are ready for someone who is transparent, who is accessible (and) really concerned about the issues … and not so much about which party you belong to,” she told the Observer.

Roberts, a Democrat, is the second commissioner to announce for the seat since Myrick said last week that she won’t seek a 10th term.

Republican commissioner Jim Pendergraph also has announced.

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