Peering out from behind the thick lenses of his trademark over-sized glasses, Senate candidate Erskine Bowles admitted he had never planned to get into politics.
“I wasn’t an outgoing enough person,” the former investment banker said with a laugh, reflecting on his younger years after speaking at a campaign rally Monday at North Carolina Central University.
Now, at the age of 59, the Greensboro native is promoting a more gregarious image in his campaign against Republican Rep. Richard Burr to claim the U.S. Senate seat currently held by fellow Democrat and vice-presidential nominee John Edwards.
Bowles reluctantly began his political career in 1992, when former President Bill Clinton appointed him chair of the Small Business Association. He later served as Clinton’s chief of staff, winning praise in 1996 for his role in balancing the budget.
“Erskine was a key player, not someone there by virtue of his title but by virtue of his management approach to things, hands-on [and] personally involved,” said South Carolina Rep. John Spratt, the ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee at that time.
Bowles’ experience in Washington helped him realize his own political potential.
“I thought, ‘Gosh! What I’m good at is bringing people together and finding common sense solutions,’” he said.
Bowles first ran for office in 2002, vying for the Senate seat left vacant after Republican Jesse Helms announced his retirement. Criticized for his often aloof and impatient persona on the campaign trail, financial background and personal campaign spending—he invested over $6 million of his own wealth in the race—Bowles lost to Republican Elizabeth Dole by 9 percent.
Since then, Bowles has honed his campaigning skills. “He’s more seasoned now with regards to the political process, and he’s better known than he was at that time,” said Barbara Allen, chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party.
Embracing supporters and signing autographs at the rally Monday, Bowles appeared the epitome of a political veteran, despite letting the occasional “gosh” or “golly” slip into his speech.
In addition to his newly-crafted campaign style, Bowles has also created a detailed platform he hopes will launch him to victory in November. His top priorities include offering incentives for businesses to keep their facilities within the US, providing health care for children and the unemployed, increasing the SBA budget and directing more federal funds towards early childhood education programs.
When it comes to voting on these issues, Bowles said he will not be a yes-man to any administration, Republican or Democrat.
“I don’t think you need a rubber stamp... for either party,” he explained. “What you need is a strong independent voice that will stand up for North Carolina and try to do the things that can really make a difference.”
Republican adversaries in North Carolina are criticizing Bowles’ past financial career, questioning his role in a law suit filed and won by the state of Connecticut against his former investment firm, Forstmann Little & Co., for a $100 million loss in state workers’ pension funds.
Burr supporters have also accused Bowles of “flip-flopping” on issues. “If you look at Erskine’s record, he’s tended to be on every side of an issue that you can be on,” said Doug Heye, a spokesperson for the Burr campaign.
Despite these criticisms, Bowles remains a comfortable 10 percent above Burr in the polls. Encouraged by this gap, supporters are confident he will soon prove a positive addition to the Senate.
“He’s a very kind, highly intelligent man,” Allen said. “He would do the state of North Carolina so proud.”
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