Democrats jump early on key '06 House races in North Carolina

Democrats are looking for a "perfect storm" to rival the 1994 sweep that gave Republicans control of both houses of Congress. A telephone poll last month by Elon University offered some basis for optimism, finding a substantial gap between the percentage of people in North Carolina who said they voted Republican for president in 2004 - 45.8 percent - and those who intend to vote Republican for congress in 2006 - 26.2 percent.

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The GOP holds both of North Carolina's Senate seats and 7 of its 13 House seats. With no Senate election slated for 2006, the Democrats' focus is on trying to win seats held by two GOP veterans, Charles Taylor of Brevard and Robin Hayes of Concord.

The Democratic mayor of Winston-Salem, Allen Joines, is also reportedly contemplating a challenge of first-term GOP Rep. Virginia Foxx. In any other year, Foxx would be considered all but invulnerable after easily winning her seat with 59 percent of the vote last year.

"We want to be in a position where we're building a case with voters over a long period of time," said Sarah Feinberg of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which has been shotgunning e-mails that attack all three House representatives for their controversial votes and ties to scandal-plagued Republicans like former House Majority Leader Tom Delay and former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham of California.




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