U.S. Sen. Richard Burr's leadership PAC gave $308,500 to federal candidates last year.

The Next Century Fund, a political action committee affiliated with the Winston-Salem Republican, contributed $212,500 to 25 Senate candidates and $96,000 to 39 House candidates, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. All were Republican.

Several were from North Carolina. Burr gave $5,000 apiece to former Sen. Elizabeth Dole, former Rep. Robin Hayes, Rep. Patrick McHenry and Rep. Sue Myrick.

He also gave $1,000 to Augustus Cho, who ran unsuccessfully for the GOP nomination to face Democratic Rep. David Price.

Nationally, Burr's PAC lent a hand to GOP candidates in competitive races, including Sens. John McCain, Norm Coleman and Ted Stevens.

In all, the PAC spent $627,704, including donations to the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the N.C. Republican Party, fundraising and travel expenses and rent.

It ended the year with $126,202 in cash on hand.

The McCain-Palin campaign released a list of its North Carolina team Monday, including chairmen for all 100 counties.

"This is probably the most impressive leadership list of any campaign in recent North Carolina history," U.S. Sen. Richard Burr of Winston-Salem, the state McCain chairman, said in a teleconference call from Washington, Rob Christensen reports.

The honorary co-chairs of the GOP presidential candidate include Sen. Elizabeth Dole, former Sen. Lauch Faircloth, former Governors Jim Holshouser and Jim Martin and Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory, the GOP nominee for governor.

McCain has trailed Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential nominee, in organizing the state. But a McCain spokesman said the campaign now had nine offices set up and 17 staffers. The Obama campaign has 16 offices and between 150 and 200 staffers.

Burr, a long-time supporter of McCain, said the ticket was a perfect fit for North Carolina. He said the addition of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin had generated a lot of interest among grassroots conservatives.

"This is a John McCain state," Burr said. "It's not an up in the air for the next election."

The Wake County McCain chair is Jean Smoot, the Durham chair is Kate Kohler, the Orange County chairs are Augustus Cho and Jesse Torres, and the Johnston chair is Linwood Parker.

Called2Action has made its picks in the Republican primary.

The conservative Christian group in Wake County has created a sample Republican ballot for members to use when voting next Tuesday. (It did not create a Democratic ballot.)

In statewide races, the group endorsed John McCain for president, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole, Fred Smith for governor, Robert Pittenger for lieutenant governor, Eric H. Smith for superintendent of public instruction, John M. Tyson and Dean R. Poirer for state Court of Appeals.

In local races, it also endorsed Augustus Cho for the Congressional seat held by U.S. Rep. David Price and Marty E. Miller for District Court Judge.

If things had turned out differently, Augustus Cho might be on the ballot under a different name.

The Chapel Hill Republican, who hopes to face off against U.S. Rep. David Price in the fall, was born Sung-uk Cho in Seoul, Korea.

He was renamed Sung-uk Park when his mother remarried. But Cho told Dome he was never close to his stepfather and did not like his new last name.

(As a side note, Korean women typically don't take their husband's last names, but it is prevalent among Korean-Americans.) 

In 1991, Cho's mother passed away and his son was born. He said both events caused him to reflect on his last name, and he eventually had it legally changed back to Cho.

Then, in 1999, he adopted the nickname Augustus, after his interest in Roman history and his birth month, because some people had difficulty pronouncing his name.

"Trying to tell people my name was Sung-uk was very difficult," he said.

He's not the only candidate in the race with a nickname, though. His Republican opponent, B.J. Lawson, is actually named William Thomas Lawson Jr. 

Another Republican wants to face off against U.S. Rep. David Price.

William "B.J." Lawson, a 33-year-old Cary resident and software company co-founder, says he wants to run for the Republican nomination in the Fourth Congressional District, Sam Spies reports.

The "critical question" says Lawson, is, "can the federal government help us? The answer is no, the federal government can't help us any more. Because it's bankrupt."

Lawson came to North Carolina about 15 years ago to study engineering and later medicine at Duke. He left medical school to start medical software firm MercuryMD, which was acquired by The Thomson Corp. last year.

Lawson's Web site says he's raised more than $53,000.

Orange County GOP Chairman Augustus Cho has also announced for the seat.

Augustus Cho, chairman of the Orange County Republican Party, made if official Thursday: He will challenge U.S. Rep. David Price for the 4th District seat.

Cho, 49, said his run for Congress will serve to "remind the incumbent that the seat belongs to the people," Cheryl Johnston reports.

Price, a Chapel Hill Democrat, is serving his 10th term in Congress.

Cho laid out four major issues for his campaign: preventing illegal immigrants from staying in the United States, funding the war in Iraq and other efforts to stop Muslim extremists, supporting President Bush's proposed tax cuts, and turning to domestic energy resources rather than relying heavily on foreign oil.

Cho immigrated to the United States with his mother and grandmother when he was 10. A former Presbyterian minister and tae kwon do instructor, Cho is a writer raising two children in Chapel Hill.

Augustus Cho confirmed Tuesday he will challenge Rep. David Price for North Carolina's 4th Congressional District seat.

Born in Korea, the Chapel Hill Republican immigrated to the United States in 1968 at age 10, and later became a naturalized citizen, according to an e-mail news release Tuesday evening.

Cho is a member of the Chapel Hill Transportation Board, an ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church, an author and former instructor with the Department of Defense.

He plans to officially announce his candidacy at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Orange County Board of Elections. (N&O)