Longleaf Politics

Longleaf Politics

Share this post

Longleaf Politics
Longleaf Politics
How Stacie McGinn could have won a key N.C. Senate seat
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More

How Stacie McGinn could have won a key N.C. Senate seat

All the elements for an upset were there — except for one. Here's a look at an effective attack that would have won her the race.

Andrew Dunn
Jan 01, 2025
∙ Paid

Share this post

Longleaf Politics
Longleaf Politics
How Stacie McGinn could have won a key N.C. Senate seat
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More
Share

Stacie McGinn had all the right elements for an upset victory in her suburban Charlotte district.

  • An open seat: State Senate District 42 was up for grabs with Rachel Hunt running for lieutenant governor.

  • Plenty of money: By the end of the third quarter, McGinn had brought in about $750,000, matching her Democrat opponent virtually dollar-for-dollar.

  • A weak opponent: While she had lots of money and the backing of her party, Woodson Bradley struggled to differentiate herself at all.

Based on previous election results, the John Locke Foundation rated the district as D+1, essentially a toss-up. A good campaign could win this seat, and McGinn had the makings of one.

Except for one thing:

This post is for paid subscribers

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 Andrew Dunn
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture

Share

Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More