Nick
The Galifianakis most North Carolinians know today is actor-comedian Zach.
For politicos of a certain age, Galifianakis is Nick, Zach’s uncle and a former congressman from Durham who lost a Senate race to Jesse Helms in 1972.
Nick died this week, at age 94. Rob Christensen, long-time political reporter for The News & Observer, wrote an obituary that took me back years, to when I was a fledgling reporter-editor at the N&O and Rob hadn’t even begun his career there.
Christensen wrote, “At one time, Galifianakis was regarded as the hope of the moderate-to-progressive wing of the Democratic Party — a big strapping ex-Marine who could barely contain his exuberance for life or politics.”
He served in the legislature in the early ’60s – he was an ally of Terry Sanford – and in Congress from 1966-72.
In 1972, he knocked off incumbent Senator Everett Jordan in the Democratic primary, but lost the general election to Helms, whose campaign slogan, “Jesse Helms: He’s one of us,” took aim at Nick’s Greek-American heritage.
Nick had played the native card himself in 1970.
His Republican opponent in that congressional race was Jack Hawke, who would become a familiar face in politics here.
Grady Jefferys, Nick’s campaign consultant, recounts the story in his book I Never Promised Not to Tell.
Jefferys had tried to get reporters to write that Hawke had moved here only recently from New Jersey. Reporters wouldn’t bite, so Jefferys ran a newspaper ad saying Hawke had lived here only four years.
That wasn’t correct, and Jefferys knew it. Hawke took the bait. HHHe called a press conference, angrily denounced the ad and declared he had lived here six years.
The press covered that, “carpetbagger” Hawke was on the defensive the rest of the campaign and Galifianakis went back to Congress.
Notes:
Hawke died in 2013, after guiding Pat McCrory to victory in the governor’s race. He was a happy warrior, and I liked jousting with him.
Jefferys, a mentor of mine at the N&O, is nearing 89 now, still sharp and taking his daily walk along the Neuse River. I love reading and hearing his stories.
Christensen, who came to the N&O 50 years ago in March, continues to turn out books. His next one is about the paper’s history.
Galifianakis obituary: https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article273738505.html#storylink=cpy.
Jefferys’ book: https://www.amazon.com/Never-Promised-Tell-Behind-Scenes/dp/1481210262
Nick
The Galifianakis most North Carolinians know today is actor-comedian Zach.
For politicos of a certain age, Galifianakis is Nick, Zach’s uncle and a former congressman from Durham who lost a Senate race to Jesse Helms in 1972.
Nick died this week, at age 94. Rob Christensen, long-time political reporter for The News & Observer, wrote an obituary that took me back years, to when I was a fledgling reporter-editor at the N&O and Rob hadn’t even begun his career there.
Christensen wrote, “At one time, Galifianakis was regarded as the hope of the moderate-to-progressive wing of the Democratic Party — a big strapping ex-Marine who could barely contain his exuberance for life or politics.”
He served in the legislature in the early ’60s – he was an ally of Terry Sanford – and in Congress from 1966-72.
In 1972, he knocked off incumbent Senator Everett Jordan in the Democratic primary, but lost the general election to Helms, whose campaign slogan, “Jesse Helms: He’s one of us,” took aim at Nick’s Greek-American heritage.
Nick had played the native card himself in 1970.
His Republican opponent in that congressional race was Jack Hawke, who would become a familiar face in politics here.
Grady Jefferys, Nick’s campaign consultant, recounts the story in his book I Never Promised Not to Tell.
Jefferys had tried to get reporters to write that Hawke had moved here only recently from New Jersey. Reporters wouldn’t bite, so Jefferys ran a newspaper ad saying Hawke had lived here only four years.
That wasn’t correct, and Jefferys knew it. Hawke took the bait. HHHe called a press conference, angrily denounced the ad and declared he had lived here six years.
The press covered that, “carpetbagger” Hawke was on the defensive the rest of the campaign and Galifianakis went back to Congress.
Notes:
Hawke died in 2013, after guiding Pat McCrory to victory in the governor’s race. He was a happy warrior, and I liked jousting with him.
Jefferys, a mentor of mine at the N&O, is nearing 89 now, still sharp and taking his daily walk along the Neuse River. I love reading and hearing his stories.
Christensen, who came to the N&O 50 years ago in March, continues to turn out books. His next one is about the paper’s history.
Galifianakis obituary: https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article273738505.html#storylink=cpy.
Jefferys’ book: https://www.amazon.com/Never-Promised-Tell-Behind-Scenes/dp/1481210262