Hopeful stresses youth, change

Patrick Ballantine, the young Republican gubernatorial candidate, touts new ideas and a fresh face for state government.

In 1994, the Wilmington native entered the N.C. Senate, where he was chosen as majority leader in 1998. He stayed in that position until early this year, when he resigned to spend time campaigning.

"I'm a new generation of conservative leadership," he said. "We're going to put a new face on what the word 'conservative' means."

He said he will - and did, as a senator - work across party lines to get things done and show people that conservatives are not "mean-spirited," but in fact care about education and the environment.

"I build relationships and solve problems," he said. "We need to get beyond petty party politics and reach out to all constituents."

He also said he will focus on bringing jobs to the state and improving its roads.

Ballantine graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill with a bachelor's degree in political science. He then went to law school at the University of Dayton in Ohio, where he met his wife of 13 years, Lisa.

They practiced law together for nine years in Wilmington, where they now reside, until Lisa Ballantine decided three years ago to stay home with their daughter, Wilker.

Campaigning keeps Ballantine away from home, but he calls every morning and night to talk to his family and check on his daughter.

"He's a wonderful father," Lisa Ballantine said. "Our little girl gets so excited when he calls."

Patrick Ballantine also looks forward to these daily calls. He said that when he talks to Lisa, she offers support and encouragement, saying, "I love you, keep fighting, we're going to win this thing."

Recent polls show Ballantine trailing Gov. Mike Easley by as many as 20 percentage points. But Ballantine said he tries not to let it keep him down for too long.

"There is an energy out there that polls can't measure," he said.

Optimism is one quality friends and family members say makes Ballantine a good person and a good gubernatorial candidate.

"He always has a positive attitude, and it helps me," his wife said.

Parks Griffin, a family friend, said Ballantine works hard and doesn't give up.

"He's not afraid to take on a challenge," Griffin said.

Ballantine said Griffin is the reason he got involved in politics in the first place. The two first met in 1992 on a bus en route to an N.C. State basketball game against UNC-Wilmington.

"We met because of basketball - UNC-W's first victory over State - but we talked about politics," Griffin said.

After that, Griffin, then-vice chairman of the New Hanover County Republican Party, convinced Ballantine to get into politics.

In January 1994, Ballantine was up for a seat in the N.C. House, but when the state senator from his district died mid-term, the party chose Ballantine to fill the position.

"He had a keen understanding of politics," Griffin said. "He just innately was very good at politics."

He added that Ballantine possesses integrity and honesty, which make him a good politician.

Katherine Dodd - parish administrator at St. Andrew's on-the-Sound Episcopal Church, where the Ballantine family attends services - said she is impressed with his ability to maintain such qualities in the race.

"He is one of the few people who has not gotten nasty," she said. "He has stayed calm and focused."

Dodd met Ballantine when he was in high school. She said he was a great, serious student and an accomplished athlete.

Griffin said Ballantine still is a sports fan, and when they get together, it often involves sports.

"We're so shallow," he said. "Most of it revolves around a basketball or football game."

Ballantine even called Griffin during his breaks from campaigning this year to check the score of the N.C. State-UNC-CH football game. "He still has his priorities straight," Griffin said with a laugh.

To family and friends, Ballantine is still the same humble, honest guy they've known for years. "He'll always call me on the phone, and we'll talk about what he's going to wear," Lisa Ballantine said.

Patrick Ballantine is color-blind, so he relies on his wife to help him match his outfits. When he's on the road, she said he will call to make sure he got it right.

"(Sometimes) I'll show up, and he's not matched," she said. "We get a few chuckles out of that."

Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.