The first order of business for newly sworn-in N.C. Sen. Chris Carney was to administer the oath of office to Lisa Qualls -- the erstwhile Mooresville Planning Board member who was tapped to replace Carney on the town’s Board of Commissioners --- on Tuesday during a dual ceremony in the board chambers.
Carney, who had been the Mooresville mayor pro tempore, was appointed to the seat by Gov. Bev Perdue early this month after being selected by top Republicans in the three counties included in the 41st District he will represent for the next 11 months.
The appointment took place upon the October death of longtime senator Jim Forrester.
Carney, 40, was sworn-in by Iredell County Judge Joe Crosswhite in front of a nearly capacity room.
“It’s great to see such a roomful of friends,” Carney said soon after he became a senator. “Some of you I have known for many years, some I am getting to know as we move forward.”
About one-third of those present had titles they earned at the ballot box, including state Sen. Fletcher Hartsell, who said he had come to know Carney since he earned his place on the Board of Commissioners six years ago.
“I absolutely think he’ll do a great job in Raleigh,” Hartsell said. “But he’s got some big shoes to fill.”
That metaphorical footwear belonged to Forrester, a family-values conservative who was in the middle of his 11th term when he passed away.
Forrester’s wife, Mary Frances, was reserved a front-row seat to the ceremonies and was called up by Carney to join he and his family as Crosswhite administered the oath.
She said her husband would give a thumbs-up to Carney as his replacement.
“I know Chris visited Jim on a number of occasions,” she said. “Jim was always on the lookout for young men who would make good leaders and Chris was one of them. And while I know Jim wasn’t here, I’m sure he would approve of Chris to take his place.”
Carney asked Mary Frances Forrester to affix an official state senate pin to his lapel after Carney had taken the oath.
Forrester at first resisted.
“Your wife should be doing this,” she said of Carney’s wife Francie.
“She already got to kiss me,” he said jokingly. “Please do me the honor.”
Francie Carney said her husband is the right man for the job.
“Chris is very blessed and talented,” she said. “And I’m glad he has been given this opportunity to serve at the state level.”
Carney said his first act in Raleigh will be to join other GOP lawmakers in overriding Perdue’s veto of the Racial Justice Act, a law that allows death row inmates to appeal their sentences on the basis of racial biases.
Carney, who will be present when the General Assembly convenes on Jan. 4 to consider the matter, said the legislation is problematic.
“It’s a flawed law,” he said. “And anytime you have the opportunity to fix something that is flawed, I think that’s a good thing.”
Carney will not defend his 41st District seat in November because Iredell County was removed from the district earlier this year during the redistricting process.
He will be able to run for the 44th District seat, which greatly resembles the current configuration of the 41st.
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