LOD: Pope’s Money Returns

The group that spent $1.5 million in 2010 to help Republicans win control of the NC General Assembly is back again this year. New reports show Real Jobs NC has spent nearly $700,000 so far on a handful on state legislative races and the governor’s contest. More spending is expected, most of it for nasty ads and mailers. The money comes from a variety of corporations through two national Republican conduits, plus six-figure, direct contributions to Real Jobs NC from Art Pope’s Variety Stores (Roses, Maxway and Super Dollar) and the holding company for R. J. Reynolds Tobacco. Democratic legislative candidates are benefitting from another outside group, Common Sense Matters, but it’s not keeping pace with Real Jobs NC – nor has Citizens for Progress, an outside group sponsoring ads to help Democratic Walter Dalton, kept up with the money the Republican Governors Association has placed in a NC account to help Pat McCrory’s campaign. Meanwhile, the outside group set up to help Republicans keep a majority on the NC Supreme Court has begun spending money. It has an ad out promoting the election of incumbent Justice Paul Newby over his opponent Sam Ervin IV. It’s a nonpartisan contest, but the Democratic and Republican parties have endorsed opposing slates of candidates for the state’s top courts.