Castellanos was fired by Jesse Helms?

You know you're a redneck if... AllPolitics - North Carolina News

Bounced by Helms, Consultant Rebounds By Robert Marshall Wells, CQ Staff Writer Apr. 30, 1996 North Carolina Republican Leroy Pittman, one of four GOP House candidates competing in the state's 8th District, took to the television airwaves last week to boost his name recognition heading into the May 7 primary. Pittman, a businessman and county commissioner in south-central Union County, is hoping for a shot at 11-term Democratic Rep. W.G. "Bill" Hefner this fall. But Pittman must first fend off his leading competitor, well-known car dealer Sherrill Morgan, the 1994 Republican nominee, who held Hefner to 52 percent last time out. Pittman's campaign is giving National Media Inc. a continuing role in Tarheel State politics. The Alexandria, Va.-based consultancy, headed by Alex Castellanos, was abruptly fired by North Carolina Republican Sen. Jesse Helms earlier this month after a relationship of many years. No explanation for the ouster was offered, but the firm was jettisoned just after the running of a Helms ad that was unusually hard-hitting for primary season, labeling both contenders in the Democratic Senate primary as extreme, gay-rights-supporting liberals. The Pittman ad was tame by comparison. It offered viewers a brief background of the candidate, highlighting his intentions to pursue a balanced federal budget and strengthen families. Copyright © 1996, Congressional Quarterly Inc. All rights reserved.