Larry Penkava
ASHEBORO — Eddie Burks announced Thursday his intention to run for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Richard Burr.
Burks, an Asheboro city councilman, said he will file in Raleigh on Feb. 8 as a candidate in the Republican primary against incumbent Burr. A businessman, Burks owns The Burks Agency, which produces advertising for TV.
"This came to me in late August in church one evening," he told The Randolph Guide on Friday about the idea to run for the Senate. "I was sitting there telling myself I'm crazy. But I couldn't get it out of my head."
Realizing his chances of defeating an incumbent were pretty slim, Burks said he began testing the waters, talking to business colleagues around the state.
"I got some pretty good positive feedback, and also some negative," he said. "I went to Litchard Hurley (Randolph County Republican chairman) and asked his opinion. He wasn't discouraging and he wasn't overly encouraging. I also talked to former chairman Alan Pugh and former Mayor David Jarrell."
Burks also discussed running for the Senate with close friends and family ("you need family support and they were encouraging").
Then he attended the N.C. League of Municipalities annual meeting at Greenville, where he put out feelers among the delegates.
"I got a lot of positive feedback," Burks said. "I hope the favorable response I've gotten will translate at the polls."
Unknown statewide, Burks realizes he has a slim chance of winning the primary, but at the same time, he said, he plans to campaign to win.
"Financing is the biggest roadblock," said Burks. "This is a very grassroots effort. But I'm lining up friends in various counties. And I'm not as politically connected as Burr."
While admitting that he and Burr would likely vote the same way in the Senate 95 percent of the time, Burks said his campaign will focus on Burr's inaccessibility to the people.
"He's just been out of touch with the people who got him there," said Burks. "He's been in Washington 16 years (the first 10 as a Congressman). He's a little bit inaccessible.
"Everybody says we need change, but it's not change if we put the same people back there."
Burks says a recent Elon University poll showed that Burr's approval rating among North Carolina adults was just 37 percent. He quoted political commentator John Hood as saying Burr, despite his many years in office, is still unknown by the people.
Burks has a Web site, www.burks4senate.com, where he lists his stance on federal spending, health care, homeland security and taxes. The site also gives his biography and features "Eddie's Blog."
"The most challenging aspect (of running for U.S. Senate) is being a poor man having to work for a living and trying to campaign at the same time," said Burks.
He said if he's unable to raise money for advertising "it'll be hard to win."
