Murry leads Heagarty with 54 percent of the vote, with 92 percent of the precincts reporting in the northwestern Wake County district.

Heagarty, an attorney and former director of the N.C. Center for Voter Education, was appointed to the legislature last year after Ty Harrell resigned. Heagarty argued that he’d protect disadvantaged North Carolinians, working families and children as the legislature starts to trim away at the budget.

Murry said he’d cut spending and taxes. He is a Morrisville town council member, attorney and pharmacist.

Conservative businessman Art Pope targeted District 41 as one of the races to help win Republican control of the legislature. Groups affiliated with Pope sent multiple mailers to voters attacking Heagarty.

“Tom Murry’s experience and knowledge of key issues tied to economic recovery and job retention and creation is what North Carolina needs at a critical time for our state,” said Lew Ebert, NC Chamber President and CEO and member of the Chamber’s PAC Board. “At a time of record-high unemployment, families and small businesses are struggling to stay afloat. The NC Chamber PAC’s endorsement tells voters that Tom Murry understands what it takes to create and keep good jobs and get our economy growing again.”

According to Ebert, the 2010 election is critical because of how hard North Carolina has been hit by the global recession. “As North Carolina employers struggle to survive this sluggish economy, the importance of the upcoming elections has never been greater,” Ebert said. “It is imperative that voters elect qualified, business-minded legislators like Tom Murry to the North Carolina General Assembly.”

Tom Murry currently serves as a council member in Morrisville where he represents Morrisville on the Triangle Council of Governments. He is also a member of Morrisville’s Community Emergency Response Team. Tom Murry’s commitment to the community has been recognized by the NFIB and Retail Merchants who have also endorsed him. Along with serving his community, Tom Murry is a pharmacist and attorney who leads a national non-profit organization committed to patient safety. Tom and his wife Tamara are the proud parents of two daughters, Ella and Gretchen. To find out more information about Tom Murry and his campaign, visit his website www.votemurry.org . You can also contact Tom Murry personally via email at info@votemurry.org with any questions.

NFIB is the nation’s leading small business and independent business association and gives small and independent business owners a voice in shaping policy issues that affect their business.

“Tom Murry is a strong supporter of small business and free enterprise,” said Gregg Thompson, state director of NFIB/North Carolina.  “NFIB/North Carolina SAFE supports his firm belief in running government with fiscal responsibility, cutting red tape and emphasizing policies that promote job creation,” he said.

M*PAC is the Merchants Political Action Committee formed by North Carolina Retail Merchants Association (NCRMA) to offer endorsement of candidates.  NCRMA was formed in 1902 to represent the retail perspective before the North Carolina General Assembly.  Both large multi-state chains and local independent retailers comprise the more than 25,000 NCRMA member stores across the State. North Carolina Retail is an $85 billion industry and as the state’s second largest employer provides over 654,000 jobs.

M*PAC endorsements are given based on a candidates insight and concern for issues of the retail community.

“The support of these two small and medium-sized business associations validates my campaign’s message of a new direction and fresh leadership on job creation and cutting wasteful spending.  Both organizations’ memberships believe in less government, which is a position I strongly advocate.  Government needs to be out of the way of entrepreneurs so they can create jobs.  When we help entrepreneurs and small, family-owned businesses succeed, we help make North Carolina’s economy stronger,” Tom Murry said.

To find out more information about Tom Murry and his campaign, visit his website www.votemurry.org.  Voters can also contact Tom Murry personally via email at info@votemurry.org with any questions.

“This poll shows that our message of improving the economy, creating jobs and cutting wasteful government spending is resonating,” said Tom Murry.  ”We’ve talked to thousands of voters in the district, and it’s clear to us they have a strong desire for new direction and fresh leadership.  I stand ready to provide leadership in solving our most pressing challenges.”

When asked whether state elected leaders should cut government spending over raising taxes, 57 percent of the voters in District 41 would rather see cuts in government spending versus only 28 percent who would favor raising taxes to balance the budget.

“Our state is facing a potential $3 billion dollar deficit in 2011, and we have to make some critical decisions about and reining in future deficits,” remarked Murry.  ”The choice for voters is obvious:  we can continue down the path the current leadership has taken us, or we can move in a new direction, repair our economy, get people back to work and stop the runaway train of wasteful government spending.  I look forward to making this choice clear to the voters of District 41 all the way to Election Day.”

The survey of 300 North Carolina voters living in NC House District41 was conducted on August 10, 2010 through an automated phone system with a margin of error of 5.77 percent.

Held on Wingate University’s campus, the event serves “to ‘induct’ beginning pharmacy students into the profession of pharmacy as student pharmacists,” according to Dr. Carolyn Ford, Professor and Assistant Dean of Students at Wingate University School of Pharmacy.

Tom Murry will speak to the students about his personal experiences and provide advice as they make the transition from student pharmacist into their professional career.  The students will also be presented with their official white pharmacy coat.

“I am honored to have been asked to speak to the pharmacy students of Wingate.  The receiving of your first white coat and making the transition into the professional world is exciting and terrifying.  I am humbled to be able to provide my life experience and advice to these young professionals,” Tom Murry said.

About Tom:

Tom Murry is a licensed, registered pharmacist and is the Executive Director of the Pharmacy Compounding Accreditation Board.  He is also a candidate for the North Carolina House of Representatives, District 41.  To learn more about Tom Murry and his campaign, visit www.VoteMurry.org.  You can also contact Tom Murry personally via email at info@votemurry.org with any questions.

Until four years ago, this Northwest Wake County district was represented by the ultimate in conservative Republicans, Wake Taxpayers Association President Russell Capps. Then Capps lost to Democrat Ty Harrell, who was re-elected in 2008. Then Harrell started spending campaign funds on things he shouldn’t have, and, long story short, Harrell’s out and the seat’s back in play.

Three Republicans filed for the chance to win it back from Democrat Chris Heagarty, who replaced Harrell and is running unopposed for his party’s nomination. Two of the three Republicans are running active campaigns; we can’t find any evidence that the third one is. Between the two, we think Republicans should pick Tom Murry, a pharmacist with a law degree and a two-term member of the Morrisville Town Council.

……..

Mainly, we think Murry’s the better choice because he’s “local”—a local pharmacist, local council member—as opposed to Todd Batchelor, who strikes us as more of a “state” Republican, or perhaps the better word is professional Republican.

Read Entire Article Here.

Excerpt: Seasoned campaigner Todd Batchelor and pharmacist Tom Murry have emerged as the frontrunners. Both candidates oppose the Obama administration’s health care overhaul, advocate lower taxes, and are conservative on abortion and family values issues.

Wine wholesaler and political newcomer David Sloane is the third wheel of the race. He supports a return to limited government principles and hopes to demonstrate his independence by not seeking endorsements from party regulars.

Economy, health care dominate

For all three candidates, stimulating jobs and reversing government intervention in health care are top priorities.
Read Entire Article Here.

Excerpt: Councilman Tom Murry said he initiated the idea for this year’s theme after reviewing a study released last summer by the John Locke Foundation’s N.C. Transparency initiative.

Although the report gave the town one of the better grades among towns in southwest Wake – Morrisville got a B – Murry said things could always be better.

“It’s something you can always improve upon,” he said.
Murry said he had asked town staff to consider addressing an issue on the town’s Web site – which he praised as having “a lot of good info” – after receiving two or more questions from residents about a particular topic.

“If two citizens came up with the same question, there’s a good chance that 100 more have thought about it and haven’t called Town Hall,” he said.

Murry said he would also like for the council to discuss whether to give citizens a second chance each month to address the Town Council. North Carolina law requires local governments to provide at least one public comment period per month.

“But if we did it twice a month, that would be a way to ensure we’re exceeding state expectations,” he said.

Read Entire Article Here

Gossage, 35, was the 2008 Republican nominee in District 41 against then-Rep. Ty Harrell (D-Raleigh). That race, in which Gossage raised nearly $115,000, ended up as one of the closest in the state in a year that heavily favored Democrats.

Harrell resigned his seat in 2009 after the State Board of Elections and House Ethics Committee launched separate investigation into his campaign finances. Wake County Democrats then appointed former lobbyist Chris Heagarty to take Harrell’s place.

Gossage said that a favorable political landscape and the encouragement of supporters weren’t enough to persuade him to run again.

“It was a tough decision to not give it another shot,” Gossage said, “but my wife and I felt that with a brand new baby, 2010 was not the best time to launch another challenger campaign.

“[The decision] was made easier though because I knew that someone with proven conservative values, solid business acumen, and the strong support of his wife and kids would be in this race. There’s no doubt that Tom Murry is the best candidate for the job.”

“Nearly 27,000 residents in this district cast a vote for me in 2008,” Gossage continued, “and I hope each one will come to the same decision I did about who to support this time around.”

“It’s great to add Bryan to my list of supporters who make decisions that impact voters in this district,” Murry said. “Like myself, these leaders understand the needs and concerns of families and businesses here in western Wake County, and I appreciate their confidence in my ability to lead our state in a different direction.”

Murry’s campaign has highlighted his record as a Councilman opposing numerous tax and fee increases in Morrisville. Murry has said that North Carolina’s reliance on tax hikes and higher debt has made the state less competitive and is partly to blame for a stubbornly high unemployment rate.

NC House District 41 in western Wake County encompasses portions of Raleigh , Cary , Apex and the entire town of Morrisville .

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Gossage was elected to the Apex Town Council in 2003, re-elected in 2007, and became Mayor pro tem in 2009. Gossage has served on a number of local boards and commissions including the county’s Juvenile Crime Prevention Council and the regional Council of Governments.

Gossage and his wife Chloe have two daughters, Madeline, age 4, and Tabitha, 6 weeks old.