Wilmington, NC: At Saturday night’s straw poll at the NCGOP Hall of Fame Dinner, grassroots activists and GOP leaders from across the region and the state made it clear that Conservative Republican Ilario Pantano is their overwhelming choice to be the GOP’s nominee for the 7^thCongressional District.  Pantano defeated his closest competitor, State Senator David Rouzer, by a clear and convincing 2 to 1 margin leaving no doubt as to whom both grassroots activists and GOP leaders see as the best choice to take on incumbent Congressman Mike McIntyre next fall.
 
“I am honored and humbled by the support our campaign received Saturday night,” Pantano said.  “It is great to see that activists and leaders are embracing our strong Conservative message and that they understand that in order to defeat Congressman McIntyre we must nominate a candidate who is a strong Conservative not a Raleigh insider backed by special interests and lobbyists.  Thanks to their support we won despite our opponent’s home field advantage and active campaigning at the event.”
 
Pantano’s overwhelming victory came in Rouzer’s backyard in Raleigh where Rouzer has received an outpouring of financial support from lobbyists and special interest groups.  Pantano also won despite not being in attendance at the event.  While Rouzer was campaigning in person at the dinner, Pantano was celebrating the 236th birthday of the United States Marine Corps at the Marine Corps Ball at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington’s Warwick Center.
 
“I am sorry I was not able to attend the Hall of Fame Dinner, but I want to thank all of those in attendance who voted for me,” Pantano concluded. “The results show that both our grassroots activists and party leaders clearly realize that if we want to change the direction in which our Country is headed we can’t continue to elect people to Congress who are controlled by lobbyists and special interest money.”