The Art Pope File

From Chris Kromm, Institute of Southern Studies

Last November, the Republican tidal wave that washed Democrats out of North Carolina’s legislative leadership for the first time in more than a century caught many off guard—but perhaps no one was as baffled as state Sen. John Snow.

A quiet Democrat from the mountains, Snow made few enemies and largely avoided controversy during his three terms in office. Indeed, he was approvingly rated by the Civitas Institute, a conservative think tank, as one of the Legislature’s most right-leaning Democrats. His opponent, dentist Jim Davis, was a newcomer to state politics, and Snow felt good about his chances of being re-elected.

Then the money started pouring in. First the state GOP, smelling an upset, helped Davis amass a $534,000 campaign war chest—a lot of money for the small 50th Senate district, but Snow and the Democrats still thought they could keep pace.

But Snow was blindsided by a flurry of blistering attack ads and mailers that began popping up across the district, all coming from two little-known groups: Real Jobs NC and Civitas Action. By Election Day, the two organizations had unleashed $265,000 worth of ads benefiting Snow’s Republican opponent, according to state campaign finance records.

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