North Carolina state House candidate to drop out due to blog

RALEIGH (AP) A Democratic candidate for the North Carolina House says she plans to quit the race after being criticized for a 2006 blog post that made incendiary remarks about Mexican immigrants.

The News & Observer of Raleigh reports the N.C. Democratic Party distanced itself from Cathy Von Hassel-Davies last week after hearing of the post. Von Hassel-Davies was challenging Republican Rep. Dennis Riddell in an Alamance County district between Durham and Greensboro.

An expletive-laden post on her blog, “Cat’s Craft Corner: Rantings and Ravings of Perhaps a Lunatic,” suggested Mexican immigrants were “illegal” and criticized the U.S. for accommodating Spanish speakers. Von Hassel-Davies later apologized, saying her words were “indefensible” but inspired by her German father’s precarious employment.

State law lets local Democrats pick a replacement if Von Hassel-Davies withdraws.