Pittenger officially runs for No. 2 job
Pittenger officially runs for No. 2 job
The Charlotte Observer
MJOHNSON@CHARLOTTEOBSERVER.COM
Mark Johnson
RALEIGH N.C. Sen. Robert Pittenger, of Charlotte, officially announced his campaign for lieutenant governor Monday, pledging to put the bully pulpit of a statewide office behind the budget-cutting proposals he has repeatedly tried to push through the senate.
"State government has become too big, spends too much and takes too much from taxpayers for the services they get," Pittenger told a gathering of news media and supporters at state Republican Party headquarters. He is seeking the GOP nomination for the state's No. 2 office.
Pittenger wants to eliminate duplicative state spending, cut taxes and put more money and technology directly into classrooms.
He also emphasized his support for reform of medical malpractice lawsuits, saying frivolous litigation against doctors has contributed to rising healthcare costs.
Pittenger, 59, is a real estate investor serving his third term in the senate. He has routinely criticized Democratic leaders for not following his suggestions on spending cuts. He faces opposition for the Republican nomination from Greg Dority, of Washington, NC, who previously ran for Congress.
Monday's announcement drew immediate criticism from Dan Besse, a Winston-Salem City Council member and Democrat running for lieutenant governor. Besse said Pittenger's criticism of proposals to address global warming placed him in the "flat earth society."
Pittenger said he wants a balanced approach to global warming that addresses the problem without stifling the state's industries.
