The North Carolina Primary will be May 6th, one of the last in the nation. Aside from an insignificant challenge to solidly conservative Congressman Patrick McHenry, and the Kelly Hastings race in House 110, (in which the recent BOE ruling will be appealed), what purpose is there for a conservative to vote?

Four candidates are on the ballot for governor, but all polls show a two-way race between Senator Fred Smith and Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory. I know and respect all, and believe that North Carolina would be well served by any of the four. However, I believe that Senator Smith presents one of the very rare opportunities that we have to cast a vote for an exceptional individual, an individual who has led a life based on solid conservative principles.

The principles that have guided Fred Smith are grounded in his parents’ strong influence and his childhood experiences at the Methodist Orphanage in Raleigh. His father was a teacher and coach there, and his mom served as a cottage “housemother.” A Shrine Bowl MVP, Fred won a football scholarship to Wake Forest, worked his way through Wake Forest Law School where he graduated with honors.

After a stint in the Army’s JAG corps, Fred became a successful attorney, entrepreneur, farmer/cattleman and homebuilder. Today, Sen. Smith’s family businesses provide more than 600 jobs in Wake and Johnston counties, where Fred teaches Sunday school at First Baptist Church.

Fred entered public service as a county commissioner, and was then elected to the N.C. Senate. There he has worked to implement his positive agenda of creating jobs, improving education, and protecting family values. Senator Smith has joined with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to fight for a critical east-west transportation corridor, support an Amendment to the state Constitution defending marriage, and to set spending priorities with a Taxpayer Protection Act.

On several occasions, I have heard the Senator say “of the $22 billion people send to Raleigh, they aren’t getting their money’s worth. It is government spending that the next governor needs to focus on first, not the particulars of tax reform.” He believes that unless lawmakers in Raleigh get a handle on the state budget, particularly such fast-growing areas as Medicaid, any tax reform or reduction that might pass today may not be sustained tomorrow.

This is the sort of straight talk that we need in North Carolina; this is leadership.

Senator Pittenger, candidate for lieutenant governor, is cut from the same piece of fiscal cloth. As a member of the Senate, he has championed medical malpractice reform, proposed innovative fraud detection technology that could save taxpayers more than $100 million in the Medicaid program, and sponsored legislation to eliminate wasteful government spending. He has traveled throughout the state offering a restructure of state government that could save taxpayers over $1 billion annually – a plan that should be a roadmap for our future.

Both men have sponsored legislation to address North Carolina’s illegal immigration crisis, and have fought to create safe streets, safe homes and safe schools by requiring that criminals serve their full sentence, and have worked for the passage of the full Jessica’s Law- not the watered down version recently passed.

Both have been to Cleveland County on numerous occasions – more than any candidate for either seat, and both recognize the need for the 74 bypass. Both will be back in our area as the Republican nominees, and neither will forget where we are after November. In addition, both have strong organizations and will present the best opportunity for a conservative victory in November.

With the Presidential nomination settled, I am not going to the poll to cast a vote for John McCain. Instead, I’m going to the poll to cast a vote for Fred Smith for Governor and Robert Pittenger for Lt. Governor, and McHenry for Congress.

I encourage you to consider these candidates carefully.