RALEIGH and SALISBURY, N.C. -- At a renovated train station in Salisbury, N.C., U.S. Senator-elect Elizabeth Dole, Woman's College '58, thanked the hundreds of supporters who came to cheer her on and vowed to live up to her campaign promises.
Dole, a Republican, will become the first woman to represent North Carolina in the Senate, after defeating Democratic candidate Erskine Bowles 54 percent to 45 percent in one of the more closely watched and expensive races in the country. Dole will help make up the new Republican majority in the Senate next year.
During the race, Dole's campaign focused on providing better benefits to military personnel, reforming Social Security, cutting taxes and granting more local control over education.
"I'm as thrilled as you are," Dole told a jubilant crowd of supporters shortly after Bowles conceded the race. At the end of a race characterized by negative advertising and heated debate, Dole only had kind words toward Bowles.
"He was very gracious [in his concession]--certainly he cares about the peopIe of North Carolina," Dole said. "I would like to ask the people who voted for Erskine Bowles to give me a chance, because I'll be a senator for all of North Carolina."
In his concession speech, Bowles offered gratitude and emphasized his commitment to public service, as campaign staffers and supporters blinked back tears.
"A year ago, I got into this race because my heart was in it," Bowles said. "I got into this race because I really wanted to help-I really wanted to do something positive for my community."
Like his opponent, Bowles focused his campaign on bolstering North Carolina's economy. He distanced himself from Dole on Social Security, having opposed any kind of privatization. He also differed on education
Dole's husband, former senator Robert Dole, campaigned for her and was present at the victory celebration.
"He's the best servant a candidate can have," his wife said. She also thanked current Senator Jesse Helms, R-N.C., saying she hoped to live up to Helms' reputation for frankness.
"Jesse is a relentless watchdog for North Carolina. You always know where Jesse is [on an issue]. You don't have to look under the table," she joked.
While Dole will assume her position in January, Bowles did not specify what he plans to do next, but said his run for Senate would not be his last civic involvement. "As I said on the campaign trail, there are lots of ways to perform public service. I too will look for other ways to serve," he said.
Bowles offered brief conciliatory words for his opponent, with no echo of the negative tone that characterized some of his advertisements. "[Dole] absolutely earned it. I am positive she has both the ability and the drive to help the families of North Carolina," he said. "Tomorrow we put this race behind us and go forward united as one North Carolina."
Though buoyed by other Democratic victories in the state, Bowles supporters appeared bereft and could not identify any specific weaknesses in his campaign that would have contributed to his defeat. Bowles overcame a double-digit deficit early on to make the race one of the nation's tightest, following his September primary win over State Rep. Dan Blue and Secretary of State Elaine Marshall.
"[His defeat] means Democrats have got to analyze election results," Marshall said, who endorsed Bowles in the general election.
North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Barbara Allen echoed the need to re-examine state demographics, and pointed to the truncated campaign schedule as a major reason for Bowles' defeat. Due to redistricting feuds, the state primary was postponed from May to September, meaning candidates had two months to campaign rather than six.
"[Dole] had a 47 percent lead when [Bowles] got into the race," Allen said. "I think a longer campaign would have been much better."
Blue also expressed strong disappointment. Blue was slower to publicly support Bowles, waiting nearly a month to officially offer his endorsement. However, Blue said he does not think this hurt Bowles in the election.
"It actually wasn't a late endorsement because I endorsed the entire Democratic ticket [two days after the primary.]"
Bob Brown, political coordinator for the North Carolina Teamsters, voiced discontent at Bowles' defeat.
"We felt Erskine was better for working families-Dole's for big business."
Some Duke students also filled the ranks of disappointed supporters. Elena Steiger and Emily Fishkin, both seniors, interned for Bowles during the campaign.
Steiger said she was surprised the race was not closer. "I really think he did everything he could have-it depended on voter turnout," she added.
Meanwhile, the tone in Salisbury was more jubilant. Supporters gave varying reasons for attending, but all were drawn to Dole's personality.
Chris Vaughan of Winston-Salem said that he did not follow politics very often, but his family was involved in the campaign and he came to respect Dole for her experience. "She's got a good history," he said.
Ginny Murphy, who came all the way from Pittsburgh to attend the celebration, said she admired Dole for her political experience and integrity.
"She's a very moral person," Murphy said. "If there's anyone I could be like, I'd be like Elizabeth."
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