Broyhill Takes East’s Senate Seat, Invites Reagan to North Carolina
James T. Broyhill, a 23-year House veteran, was sworn in Monday as North Carolina’s newest senator.
Sen. Strom Thurmond (R-S.C.), the Senate’s president pro tem, administered the oath of office to Broyhill, 58, a Republican who is running for a full Senate term in November’s election.
Broyhill met briefly with President Reagan to accept the President’s congratulations on being named to the seat left vacant by the death of Sen. John P. East (R-N.C.).
Running for Full Term
Broyhill, who resigned his House seat to accept appointment to the Senate after East committed suicide last month, is running against former Gov. Terry Sanford, a Democrat, for a full, six-year term in the Senate.
After he and his family posed for pictures with Reagan, Broyhill told reporters that he had asked the President to come to North Carolina to make a major policy speech, as Reagan did on taxes last week in Dothan, Ala.
Asked whether he would like Reagan to make a trade speech in Broyhill’s home state, the senator, who supports protectionist trade legislation, replied that he and Reagan “don’t agree” on that issue.
Reagan favors freer, more open world markets, even if that hurts some domestic industries, such as the embattled North Carolina textile industry.
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