THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 5, 1996 TAG: 9607050156
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY MASON PETERS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 96 lines
In June, July - or any other summertime - what is so rare as a well-mannered election campaign in North Carolina?
A squeaky-polite, proper ballot box contest is in progress - gently - in the state's 1st Congressional District.
No yelling. No bullying. No negative nastiness. No pusillanimous political pot-shots.
Not even a whispered, ``Oh, Pshaw!'' can be heard.
In fact, weeks go by with nothing but good behavior from the U.S. House candidates in the contorted 1st District that stretches like a Rorschach blot up and down eastern North Carolina from Virginia to South Carolina.
Ted Tyler, the Republican challenger and former mayor of Rich Square in Northampton County, leaves no doubt he believes in ladies first, of all things, as he tiptoes for Congress against incumbent Rep. Eva M. Clayton, D-Warrenton.
Both Clayton and Tyler showed silent respect for the flag and other appropriate low noise symbols on Independence Day.
Tyler, a Squibb pharmaceutical salesman who personally shells out most of his campaign expenses, was invited to ride in a Fourth of July parade in Belhaven.
``It's a great honor to be in a Belhaven parade,'' Tyler said behind his hand.
Incumbent Rep. Clayton also made the bass drum and tuba circuit in her congressional district and even managed to seem discreet when she announced a multimillion-dollar clean water grant for the Ahoskie area of Hertford County.
``Later on this summer things should be a little busier in the 1st District and Mrs. Clayton may put on a regular election worker,'' said Veda J. Lamar, Clayton's spokesperson in Washington.
When the General Assembly in 1992 redrew the 1st District to give the voting area an African-American majority under U.S. Voting Rights Act guidelines, legislators also created a 12th District between Durham and Charlotte that favors election of a black U.S. representative.
As expected, Clayton easily won election to the black-tilted 1st District seat. Mel Watt, a Charlotte Democrat and African-American attorney, won in the 12th District.
In the 1st District, only Tyler has seriously opposed Clayton in the two most recent elections. But in the process, the two office-seekers have become friendly campaign acquaintances. And Tyler is ever ready to help Clayton into a chair or through a door.
``Mr. Tyler is a gentleman,'' Clayton said.
In each of their two trips to the ballot box, Clayton has been elected or re-elected. Tyler, as expected, has courteously acknowledged defeat by the 51-percent black voter majority.
But while Tyler and Clayton leave little dust and less commotion along their campaign trails, Republicans who want to abolish the two black-majority congressional districts renewed their battle this week.
A lawsuit was filed in Raleigh Wednesday charging racial gerrymandering in several House and Senate election districts. The legal action came from Jack Daly, a GOP candidate for state auditor, who is an on-leave law student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Daly is one of several Republicans, led by Robinson Everett, a Duke University law professor, who are trying to defeat the 12th District and the 1st District reapportionment that all but guarantees election of black U.S. representatives.
Renewed legal skirmishing began earlier this summer when the U.S. Supreme Court took another look at one of North Carolina's two black-majority U.S. House districts and ordered some changes.
On June 13, the country's highest court held that the 12th Congressional District that stretches along the I-85 interstate highway corridor between Durham and Charlotte is unconstitutional because race alone was used to draw the voting area.
This same Supreme Court view earlier tossed out a Georgia redistricting.
In the June ruling, the high court ordered the 12th Congressional District redrawn, which could create a major flap between now and Election Day - Nov. 7. The court did not rule, however, that the 1st District also would have to be redrawn.
``But I hope both North Carolina districts are redrawn this year,'' Tyler said Wednesday. ``The court has already ruled that the 12th District is unconstitutional.''
There is considerable sentiment in the General Assembly to tackle the whole congressional redistricting challenge again, but not until after the November elections are out of the way.
The legislature has been called back next week by Gov. James B. Hunt Jr., to try to get a budget resolved.
With the House Republican, Tyler and many others in the GOP believe that immediate redistricting will further weaken the Democrats.
Tyler may be counted on to say, ``Beg your pardon'' to any Democrat who gets the boot - including Clayton. ILLUSTRATION: Photos
INCUMBENT
Rep. Eva M. Clayton, D-Warrenton
CHALLENGER
Ted Tyler, former Rich Square mayor
KEYWORDS: ELECTION NORTH CAROLINA by CNB