Dirty Dozen 2002: Race at a Glance
North Carolina's 8th House District

Robin Hayes (R)	54%
Chris Kouri (D)	45%

View Robin Hayes' Dirty Dozen profile

Press Coverage of this Campaign:
11/05/02 Charlotte Observer Endorses Kouri

The Race
Incumbent Robin Hayes came into this race with a substantial edge on his opponent in fundraising and name recognition. However, in a district that relies heavily on the textile industry and lost 30,000 jobs in the past 4 years, Hayes' vote to give the President fast-track authority to negotiate trade agreements was a huge strike against him. Hayes' opponent, Chris Kouri, won a surprise victory in the Democratic primary using a dynamic campaign. Kouri continued to organize at the grassroots level while challenging Hayes on trade and social security issues, but Hayes' established political momentum eventually won out. 

The Environment
LCV named Hayes to the Dirty Dozen because of his dismal record opposing commonsense environmental measures to protect the health and quality of life of North Carolina's families. Hayes' lifetime LCV score is only ten percent. His trade authority vote not only undermined job security in this economically depressed region, but also threatened to undermine national environmental standards. LCV focused on this issue, as well as clean air and sprawl issues, to target voters in the Charlotte-Fayetteville area.

LCV Activities
 In October 2002, working closely with the Kouri camp, LCV planned a coordinated Dirty Dozen campaign to target Robin Hayes and publicize his poor environmental record. Throughout the campaign, LCV engaged in an aggressive media outreach effort, garnering TV and print coverage in media outlets from Charlotte to Kannapolis to Fayetteville. LCV Political Director Betsy Loyless traveled throughout the Charlotte area on a media tour to announce that Hayes was on the Dirty Dozen list. The Charlotte Observer, noting his listing, wrote an editorial endorsing Kouri.