By Mark Johnson
mjohnson@charlotteobserver.com

Rep. Nick Mackey lost his Democratic primary race by a wide margin Tuesday night, one day after the State Bar announced that it was suspending Mackey's law license for three years for conduct that included "acts of dishonesty."

Business consultant Rodney Moore handily defeated Mackey, who is serving his first term, 62 percent to 38 percent. He was one of four Democratic House members to lose Tuesday.

"The people finally paid attention and they wanted a change," Moore said. "They wanted real representation. ... I will not let them down."

Mackey's loss was striking because he was accused of recruiting the candidates who challenged three other incumbents in Mecklenburg, yet Mackey was the only one of those four lawmakers to go down Tuesday evening.

The State Bar released an order Monday, which Mackey agreed to, disciplining him for failing to disclose background information on his application to take the bar exam, failing to file taxes on time and failing to handle an adoption for a client. The order described "a pattern of misconduct" and circumstances reflecting Mackey's "lack of honesty, trustworthiness, or integrity."

Moore will face Republican Michael Wilson, whose opponent, Gwendolyn McGowens, chose not to run after getting her name on the ballot. She still received 31 percent to Wilson's 69 percent.

Mackey was only on the ballot in his district, but he factored into three others in a testy batch of intraparty friction.

Rep. Beverly Earle accused Mackey of recruiting a friend and two former colleagues to run in the party primary against Earle, Rep. Becky Carney and Sen. Malcolm Graham, all Democrats.

The three incumbents had backed then-Rep. Drew Saunders in the 2008 primary when Mackey challenged and defeated Saunders, but Mackey has denied orchestrating any candidacies.

Charlotte's Black Political Caucus endorsed Carney's and Graham's opponents over the incumbent Democrats.

Earle fended off her opponent, Rocky Bailey, who served with Mackey in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, 81 percent to 19 percent.

Graham won 75 percent to 25percent over John Montgomery, who previously worked as Mackey's legislative assistant.

And Carney, who survived a cardiac arrest last year, won her three-way primary against Mackey friend Kim Ratliff and lawyer Ken Davies. Carney received 62percent to Ratliff's 29percent and Davies' 9 percent.

In other contested Mecklenburg primaries:

C. Morgan Edwards, a former assistant secretary at the N.C. Department of Transportation, defeated specialized auto parts dealer Vince Coscia 61 percent to 39percent, to run for the seat held by Sen. Dan Clodfelter, a Democrat, in the fall.

In the race to replace retiring Rep. Jim Gulley, a Republican, the GOP nomination went to commercial real estate broker Bill Brawley. He topped Mint Hill Mayor Pro Tem Lloyd Austin, 57 percent to 43 percent. Democrat Ann Newman had no opposition.

N.C. Rep. Ruth Samuelson, a Republican, had a primary opponent, Jerry Drye. But he chose to support Samuelson, who won 83 percent to Drye's 17 percent.

Besides Mackey, the other House Democrats who lost Tuesday: Rep. Bruce Goforth, of Buncombe County; Rep. Earl Jones, of Guilford County and Rep. Ronnie Sutton, of Robeson County.
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Mark Johnson: 919-829-4774

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