Murray And Barnes Compete For Mecklenburg DA  Oct 20, 2010
Mecklenburg County will soon have a new District Attorney which
is something of a rarity here. Peter Gilchrist has held the
office since 1975. He's retiring at the end of this year. Two
candidates with very different takes on that office are vying to
replace him: City councilman Michael Barnes, a Democrat and
Republican Andrew Murray, a defense lawyer and former assistant
district attorney. The word experience has been tossed around a
bunch in this race. Both Murray and Barnes say they have a lot
of it, but that know-how is of a different variety. Murray touts
his experience in criminal court and his post as a commander in
the U.S. Coast Guard Reserves. Barnes holds up his skills as a
politician who builds relationships and finds resources. Debates
between the two have turned into a showdown of what the District
Attorney's primary job should be. "Being a DA is not simply
making policy," said Murray at a debate earlier this month.
"Being a DA is every