ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, November 7, 1996 TAG: 9611070059
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-7 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: RALEIGH
SOURCE: Associated Press
Early in the political season, Richard Petty looked like a sure bet to transform his legendary status as king of the stock car racing world into a statewide political office.
That was before he hit a roadblock named Elaine Marshall.
Marshall claimed victory Tuesday in the secretary of state race as her supporters at a Democratic Party celebration chanted: ``The king is dead.''
Marshall becomes the first woman ever elected to a Council of State post.
Petty had earlier toyed with the idea of a bid for governor, and suggested Tuesday night that he may have had more success in a race against Gov. Jim Hunt than in the more obscure secretary of state post.
``Basically, it was a situation where Hunt was so strong, we couldn't overcome that,'' Petty said. ``I probably would have done better if I had just gone against Hunt.''
Before the race, some political observers had suggested that Petty's popularity as the winningest driver in NASCAR history could take him to just about any elected office in the state.
Petty, 59, gained some unwanted publicity in September when he was involved in a traffic accident on Interstate 85. Petty pleaded guilty to following too closely for bumping another car on the highway that he thought was driving too slowly in the left lane.
LENGTH: Short : 36 lines KEYWORDS: AUTO RACINGby CNB