news-record.com

RALEIGH — Senate candidate Ken Lewis went on the offensive Wednesday night, blasting rival Cal Cunningham for holding inconsistent positions during a debate among Democrats hoping to challenge incumbent Republican Richard Burr.

It was the most direct confrontation over issues so far in a campaign that has been more about who has the better resume to take on Burr.

Cunningham is a former one-term state senator and Iraq War veteran. Ken Lewis is a Durham lawyer with roots in Democratic politics. They, along with Elaine Marshall, North Carolina’s longtime secretary of state, are considered the front-runners in the campaign, according to polls and fundraising numbers.

Marcus Williams, a Lumberton lawyer, and Ann Worthy, a Gaston County teacher, also debated Wednesday. Susan Harris, a retired accountant and part-time photographer from Old Fort, did not participate.

Wednesday’s debate was sponsored by the League of Women Voters and NBC-17, a Raleigh television station. The debate was not broadcast in the Triad but was available on the Internet. Early voting begins today.

Lewis said Cunningham was speaking passionately about the need for banking reform, but he pointed out that Cunningham was on the state Banking Commission when it voted to request authority to pay bonuses in 2009.

“You were silent when you sat on the banking commission,” Lewis said. Cunningham responded that Lewis had his facts wrong.

“The state banking commission did not pay bonuses to any of its employees,” Cunningham said.

The banking commission did pay $478,081 in bonuses to 72 employees in 2008, six months before Cunningham was appointed to the commission. In 2009, the commission asked the legislature to pay bonuses but dropped those plans after news reports and questions from lawmakers.

After the debate, Cunningham said he was participating in a meeting by phone. After he got off the phone, Cunningham said, the bonus issue came up.

Both Cunningham and Lewis said they supported creating better regulation and oversight for the financial service industry. And both talked about the need for the federal government to have “resolution authority” to unwind companies deemed too big to fail.

Marshall pointed to her role as one of the state’s financial service regulators, saying she had reclaimed $600 million for state investors caught in questionable stock deals.

Another point of departure came over President Barack Obama’s proposal to allow offshore exploration of gas and oil.

Williams and Worthy said Obama’s call was a pragmatic response to energy needs.

Cunningham, Lewis and Marshall opposed the proposal.

Marshall said the state should not risk its beaches and fishing industry.

Lewis said there was no compelling evidence that drilling would lower gas prices.

After some discussion, Cunningham said, “I’m against drilling off North Carolina’s coast.”

Contact Mark Binker at (919) 832-5549 or mark.binker@news-record.com