Effective March 31, 1996, Secretary of State Edmisten resigned from his post, seeking opportunities in the fields of law and business.

[5] Other Republicans on the ballot hoped to ride his coattails, such as future Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey, who said “I need to draw the Democrat vote, and I know he can do that.”[6]

When his campaign bus rolled through rural North Carolina, stunned citizens like Connie Perry of Bunn reacted, "Nothing ever happens around here.

Richard Petty said that "the Democrats have nothing to criticize me for except the dumb things I do to myself," and attacked the "Democrat-controlled state police" for making him "a political victim.

"[6] The press reported on the incident as both a high-profile celebrity scandal and a question of Petty's readiness to serve in a statewide executive office.

"[12] The first woman elected to a statewide executive office in North Carolina, Elaine Marshall has prioritized making it easier to do business in the state.

He pointed out that even in politics "we Pettys aren't complete losers", as his wife Lynda had won re-election to the Randolph County Board of Education.

[16] Additionally, Petty himself pointed out that the traffic incident so close to the election may have reinforced the perception of him as a race car driver, not a steady-handed politician.