Local

2012 Candidate Forums

WHQR will host and broadcast four candidate forums as part of the 2012 Election Season in the MC Erny Gallery, 254 N. Front Street, #300.Each forum will feature two local journalists asking prepared questions during the first half of the event. The second portion will be dedicated to questions from voters. A live studio audience will be invited to ask questions during this segment. We'll also use questions sent in from listeners.If you have a question for the candidates, please email us (newsdirector@whqr.org) or submit via Twitter with the #whqrforums hash tag and tell us which slate of candidates you'd like to address. We reserve the right to edit the questions for clarity, brevity, and objectivity. Each question must be addressed to all candidates in a particular race. If you can't attend the live event, Tweet along while you tune in or listen or watch the webcast online at 7 PM each night to hear the candidates! (WWAY will also broadcast the forums live on Time Warner Cable. RTV is channel 106, on ATMC, channel 903, on Charter Cable, channel 145 and over-the-air at 3.2.)Tuesday, Oct. 2, 7 PM- New Hanover County CommissionersJonathan Barfield (Current Vice Chairman)Beth DawsonRobert MurrayDr. Derrick HickeyWoody WhiteRob Zapple Thursday, Oct. 4, 7 PM- NC House District 18Representative Susi Hamilton (D)Louis Harmati (R) Monday, Oct. 8, 7 PM - NC Senate District 9Senator Thom Goolsby (R)Deb Butler (D) Thursday, Oct. 18, 7 PM - NC House District 19 & NC House District 20 NC House District 19Ted Davis, Jr. (Current NHC Commission Chair)Emilie Swearingen (Current Kure Beach Councilwoman)NC House District 20Rick Catlin (Current NHC Commissioner) (R)Tom Gale (D)

In GOP Primary for 7th District, Rouzer Defeats Pantano

WHQR | By Rachel Lewis Hilburn

Published May 9, 2012 at 3:06 AM EDT

In a surprising primary upset, State Senator David Rouzer beat Ilario Pantano by a four percent margin in the race for the 7^th Congressional District.

As WHQR’s Rachel Lewis Hilburn reports, Rouzer now faces eight-term Democrat Incumbent Mike McIntyre in November.

The results are surprising because most counties in the WHQR listening area and the broader 7^th Congressional District gave Pantano a significant lead. New Hanover County voters favored Pantano over Rouzer by 21.5 percent. Brunswick and Pender voters pushed Pantano ahead by nearly 27 percentage points. But it was the 14,000 votes from his native Johnston County that catapulted him over the finish line. Rouzer beat Pantano by a little more than 2,800 votes. Only three other counties in the district -- Hoke, Sampson, and Lenoir – delivered majorities in Rouzer’s favor. The results are unofficial until the votes are canvassed next Tuesday.