Don East had no opposition when seeking re-election to his state Senate seat in 2008. But that will change next year when East is challenged by a Surry County commissioner who’s a member of the same political party.

Paul Johnson, a Republican now in his 13th year on the county governing board, said Tuesday that he will seek the party’s nomination for the 30th Senate District seat held by East, now serving his sixth two-year term. In addition to Surry, the district includes Stokes, Yadkin and Alleghany counties.

While Johnson indicated that his candidacy reflects a need for a “fresh perspective” in Raleigh concerning the district’s Senate representation, East defended his record Tuesday while saying he’s ready for Johnson’s challenge in 2010 when his seat comes up for re-election.

“I intend to run hard and do those things that would cause me to be re-elected, and Paul Johnson running in the primary doesn’t bother me any,” the veteran legislator said. “I’ll stake my record with Paul Johnson’s at any point.”

Ironically, Johnson, a Westfield resident who’ll turn 48 in September, is trying to take the same path to Raleigh as East did in the 1990s when he used the Surry County Board of Commissioners as a springboard to the state Legislature. From 1984-92, East, 63, of Pilot Mountain, served on the board as the commissioner for the county’s East District, which Johnson now represents.

“I’m not downing Don East,” Johnson said Tuesday. “I think he’s probably done a great job over the years, but from what I’m hearing out in the district and from our leaders in Raleigh, there is a need for a fresh perspective.”

After speaking with party members in other counties in the 30th District, “pretty much everything indicates that we need a change,” he added.

“I didn’t just wake up one morning and say I’m going to run for state Senate. I gave it a lot of thought.”

Local Impact

In charging that East is out of touch with his constituents in terms of working for state legislation to benefit localities, Johnson mentioned some examples affecting Surry County.

“There’s been times in the past when the county commission has asked for things to be presented and our senator has blocked them,” Johnson said, “like for example the tourism tax.”

East twice blocked legislation to allow Surry to implement a tourism tax to help promote the county, which delayed its approval until this year. Johnson also mentioned efforts opposed by East to change state law to allow “very limited” billboards on Interstate 74 to guide travelers to Surry businesses.

Johnson said that in his view, such issues demand a different approach by the area’s senator “on the way things need to be done.”

Incumbent Responds

East has said that he is opposed to tourism taxation, which he considers a hardship for travelers, and because of a personal dislike for “little incremental taxes.” As for the billboards issue, he has expressed reluctance in the past about allowing the large signs to spoil the county’s beauty, although he recognizes their potential to help local businesses.

While defending his record Tuesday, the veteran senator countered Johnson’s claims that a change in representation is needed.

“I’d say that I don’t feel like we need a change,” East said. “I feel like I’ve done a decent job. I’ve got a pretty conservative voting record on the issues. Can Paul Johnson do any better? No, I don’t think so.”

As for Johnson’s decision to run against him, East said, “Well, I don’t know that I have a whole lot of thoughts about that — that’s his choice. He can do whatever he likes.”

Johnson believes he has performed well on the county level, and this has adequately prepared him for the next step. “That is a real good training ground and learning experience for the next move up, which would either be the state (House) or state Senate,” he said.

The Westfield resident added that he considered running last year for the area House seat vacated by veteran Rep. George Holmes of Yadkin County, which covers portions of Surry. But he said various factors, including the timing involved with such a candidacy, caused him not to seek that office.

Instead, Johnson was re-elected to his fourth four-year term on the county board, while Darrell McCormick of Yadkin County won Holmes’ House seat in last November’s election.

Johnson said if elected senator, he would fight to reduce taxes in North Carolina, especially on businesses. “We continue to be the highest in the Southeast with all our corporate taxes and fees that they charge,” he said of state government, which recently has dealt with major financial problems this year that led to more tax hikes.

“If anything, they’ve made it worse this year,” Johnson said.

He said that he already has gotten to know many leaders in Raleigh due to contacting them directly on various matters, such as why certain roads aren’t paved, which he implied should have been handled by this area’s senator. “People have had a hard time getting answers, but I’ve been able to go to bat for them and get answers from Raleigh when they can’t get them otherwise.”

Johnson added, “I think a good representative or state senator stays in pretty much constant contact with the counties.”

Though a Republican primary race is shaping up between East and Johnson, Democrats will have a say in the matter as well. However, Johnson believes the GOP will fare well no matter who wins its nomination.

“This district is a Republican district. Normally Republicans do very well in Surry,” he said, a notion supported by the fact that all three members of the state Legislature now serving the county are members of that party.

“It will be the Republicans’ to lose,” Johnson added of the Senate seat.

Contact Tom Joyce at tjoyce@mtairynews.com or at 719-1924.