Blue picked to fill Malone's empty Seat

Blue picked to fill Malone's empty seat
By: Amy Thorpe
News 14 Carolina

RALEIGH – N.C. Rep. Dan Blue will fill the vacant senate seat left by the late N.C. Sen. Vernon Malone.

Wednesday, the State Senate District Executive Committee elected the Wake County Democrat. Experience won out in the race, with more than 80 Wake County elected officials choosing Blue to fill the spot.

"I want to tell you I sincerely and truly thank each and every one of you,” said Blue after the results were announced. “I want to thank you even more because I had so many friends in this race.”

Eight candidates had thrown their hats into the race, but the field narrowed to three when several withdrew from the race and others weren't formally nominated.

Voters chose Blue in a landslide over Bernard Allen Jr. with the State Department of Crime Control and Public Safety, and business owner J. Mills Holloway.

"There's nothing else we could have done that we didn't do,” said Allen of his race. “Rep. Blue, he was speaker of the House. I will work tirelessly to support the party and things he's trying to accomplish.”

Everyone agreed, no matter which candidate won, that they had to be focused on the election when the term expires next year to keep a democratic majority in the State Legislature.

"We'll try to do the very same things in our campaign 2010 that we did in 2008; and that is to engage all the citizens," Blue said.

After the election, Blue said he was headed to the Legislative Building to get some work done after making a pit stop to celebrate.

"I have to go home, kiss my wife, celebrate briefly, then get back to work," he said.

Blue's election to the State Senate now goes to Gov. Bev Perdue for approval.

Malone represented District 14, including east Raleigh and east Wake County for seven years. He died unexpectedly last month at the age of 77.