Elizabeth Dole wants to replace Jesse Helms, and she swept through the western counties last week touting traditional GOP themes and seeking money and volunteers for her campaign.

Dole’s campaign officially kicks off Feb. 9 at her home in Salisbury, but she is not waiting until then to get to work. She is trying to convince voters that her expansive government experience and her Washington connections will serve North Carolina well.

“I’ve worked with Colin Powell and Dick Cheney, I know them well, and I know they will return my phone calls,” Dole told a student audience at Western Carolina University, a comment she echoed an hour later at a luncheon at Haywood Community College.

Dole concentrated as much on letting people get to know her as she did on issues. She told stories, made sure to shake nearly everyone’s hand and talked about her links to North Carolina. Dole is a Duke and Harvard graduate who began working in Washington in the early 1960s for both John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson while a Democrat. She switched parties when Nixon came into office and held Cabinet posts under Ronald Reagan and George Bush Sr. She has also been the president of the Amercian Red Cross.

While at WCU, Dole reminded students that it is a privilege to live in this country, and that the events of Sept. 11 will hopefully drive more people into public service as we re-assess what is important.

“We are blessed, and one way to give back is through public service. It is noble service,” Dole said.

The freedom to speak, to vote and to worship as we please are taken for granted, Dole said. Her Red Cross travels to places like Rwanda and Somalia gave her a great appreciation for what we have in this country, said Dole.

The Senate hopeful said she would be a strong supporter of George Bush if elected, and she said it is important that Republicans win back a majority in the Senate. But she said that she would need Democratic voters if she is to win, and to do that her campaign has started a “Democrats for Elizabeth Dole” committee.

She also announced at WCU that Cherokee Chief Leon Jones had agreed to serve on her executive committee.

It is not known who Dole’s opponent will be in the general election as she is heavily favored in the GOP race. Democrats Dan Blue (a state legislator from Wake County), N.C. Secretary of State Elaine Marshall and Bill Clinton’s former deputy chief of staff Erskine Bowles are all seeking the Democratic nomination.

During her stops, Dole got into the crowd and spoke with everyone she could. That town hall style of speaking has become one of her trademarks, one that was popularized as she worked in the presidential campaign of her husband, former Sen. Bob Dole, in 1996 and her own campaign in 2000.

At HCC, Dole reminded another packed audience that she was raised a Methodist and spent her summers at Lake Junaluska. She also said she dated a man from Franklin for five years and spent a lot of time in the mountains.

Some of the issues she discussed were:

° Education — Dole said local school districts needed to have more control over their schools but should be held accountable to high standards. She also cited the need to put “discipline back into the classroom” and to get parents more involved in schools.

° Defense — “National defense is the most important issue before us. We’ve got to protect our borders.”

° Taxes — “We need further cuts in taxes and we need to get the economic stimulus package through. It will help businessmen and women.”

° Regulatory controls — “I want to look at excessive federal regulations.”