With the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee trying to recruit former state Sen. Cal Cunningham into the race, Elaine Marshall has issued a poll memorandum arguing why she would be a strong opponent of Republican Sen. Richard Burr next year.

The memo by her pollster, Celinda Lake, notes that in every poll taken this year, Burr has failed to gain majority support, Rob Christensen reports.

"Burr's reelection numbers are among the lowest in the nation with just one-fifth of the voters (21 percent) indicating their plans to support his reelection," writes Lake. The memo argues that Marshall, the Secretary of State who has announced her candidacy, is as strong in the polls as Congressman Bob Etheridge, who the senatorial committee had tried to recruit into the race. Etheridge announced last week that he would not be a candidate for the Senate.

"In sum," writes Lake, "Senator Burr is vulnerable. Voters have a net-unfavorable impression of him and a strong plurality is ready to vote for someone else. Secretary Marshall is well-liked and a strong competitor against Burr. Her record of service and her fund raising capabilities makes her the Democrat to beat in the race."

The memo does not mention Cunningham, the former state senator and Iraqi war veteran from Lexington, who the committee is trying to recruit into the race.

Former Lt. Gov. Dennis Wicker said Wednesday that he would not challenge Republican Sen. Richard Burr next year.

Wicker, a Raleigh lawyer and a Democrat, said he seriously considered a Senate bid this time and received strong encouragement to take the plunge, Rob Christensen reports.

"The demands of raising $15 million to $20 million is just an enormous amount of money," Wicker said.

He also cited the demands of a relatively young family and a full-time law practice.

"Richard Burr is going to be a tough opponent," Wicker said. "But it is a winnable race for a Democrat. About this time in the 2008 election cycle the Democrats were scrambling for a candidate, when Kay Hagan said yes then said no and then came back and said yes. A year is an eternity in politics. It may not look like a great year for Democrats. But it can change quickly, particularly if the economy improves."

Wicker is a former state House majority leader and was a candidate for governor in 2000.

There are two Democrats who have announced their candidacy: Secretary of State Elaine Marshall and Chapel Hill lawyer Kenneth Lewis. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has been trying to convince former state Sen. Cal Cunningham, an Iraq veteran who previously decided not to run, to enter the race.

U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge previously decided not to run.

GRADE STIMULUS: A Goldsboro middle school was lambasted this week for its plan to award extra test points — enough to raise a letter grade — in exchange for cash contributions for the school. The lesson for students: Hard work, perseverance and positive attitude will be rewarded. And if that doesn't work, a nice crisp $20 couldn't hurt.

CHOPPED LIVER; The race for the Democratic nomination to challenge U.S. Sen. Richard Burr got lots of attention this week. Lexington lawyer Cal Cunningham is out. U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge is going for a new fence-sitting record. Two others are thinking about it. All the buzz about candidates who aren't running can't be flattering to the only two people who are: lawyer Kenneth Lewis and Secretary of State Elaine Marshall.

SHE'S BACK: Gov. Bev Perdue got a big bump in her job approval, apparently because of her refusal to release violent inmates despite a court ruling. Perdue has been hitting the public events pretty hard and making big announcements. A few more ribbon cuttings and another stand at a jail-house door and Perdue might just be liked again.

IN OTHER NEWS: Sen. Martin Nesbitt appears to have a lock on the job of Senate majority leader...The state's pension fund is beginning to recover from a financial slump...Barack Obama's campaign was the source of the tip that John Edwards got $400 haircuts.

U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge has still has not issued a statement on whether he will challenge Republican Sen. Richard Burr next year.

But Dome would be shocked if he announces for the Senate. The word in Democratic circles is that Etheridge has decided to seek re-election to his House seat.

Etheridge has been heavily courted by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee since last spring as the strongest potential challenger to Burr. But Etheridge has always been politically cautious and has passed on Senate races in the past. And he recently gained a coveted seat on the House Ways and Means Committee.

The Lillington Democrat has already told the senatorial committee his decision, but they asked him to put off an announcement for a day or two.

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Former Lt Gov. Dennis Wicker says if his friend U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge doesn't get into the Senate race, he might.

"The truth is I am continuing to talk to people who encourage me to run," Wicker told Rob Christensen. "If he (Etheridge) were to rule it out, it would increase my interest. Right now I continue to listen to people."

"I realize that the time frame is getting tighter," Wicker said, "but this is something I continue to think about."

Wicker, a Sanford resident who practices law in Raleigh, is a former state House majority leader and two-term lieutenant governor, who lost the Democratic primary for governor to Mike Easley in 2000.

He said it would take a strong candidate to defeat Republican Sen. Richard Burr next year.

U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge plans to make a decision on whether to enter next year's Senate race later this week, according to a spokesman.

The Lillington Democrat had hoped to already have already made a decision, but Rob Christensen reports that he was delayed by the weekend vote on the health care legislation and by the Veterans Day activities.

He is being courted by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which would like for him to challenge Republican Sen. Richard Burr next year. The long delay in Etheridge's decision apparently was a factor in former state Sen. Cal Cunningham's announcement Monday that he would not be a Senate candidate.

Cunningham apparently thought he would get the backing of the Senatorial Committee if Etheridge decided not to run.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee is doing a little victory dance over former state Sen. Cal Cunningham's decision not to challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Richard Burr next year.

By the GOP's count (which looks an awful lot like a list compiled by Dome), Cunningham is the 10th Democrat who has looked at the Senate race and decided to take a pass, Rob Christensen reports. Here is the Republican's list: Attorney General Roy Cooper, Rep. Heath Shuler, Rep. Mike McIntyre, Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton, Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker, state Rep. Grier Martin, state Rep. Tricia Cotham, former state Treasurer Richard Moore, and state Sen. Malcolm Graham.

"Once again," said Republican spokesman Colin Reed, "the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and national Democrats have suffered a serious setback in their efforts to land a top-tier candidate in North Carolina."

Likely disagreeing with that sentiment are the two announced Democrats, Secretary of State Elaine Marshall and Durham lawyer Kenneth Lewis. U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge and Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy are looking at the race.

Update: Also disagreeing with Reed was DSCC communications director Eric Schultz.

"Aside from Senator John Ensign, Senator Burr has the lowest approval rating of any Republican in the United States Senate. That’s because he’s beholden to the special interests in Washington. He will face a formidable opponent next November."

Cal Cunningham, a Lexington Democrat who had been exploring a U.S. Senate bid for months, said late Monday that he will not run.

The decision is a possible indicator the U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge will seek the Democratic nomination to challenge Sen. Richard Burr in 2010. Secretary of State Elaine Marshall and Durham lawyer Kenneth Lewis have already announced they are in the primary.

In a post sent to a Facebook group organized to help build support for a potential campaign, a message from Cunningham, a lawyer and former member of the N.C. Senate, said it would be the wrong race at the wrong time for his family.

Dear Friends,

After giving a serious and thorough look at a race for the U.S. Senate, I have decided not to seek office at this time.

This has been a very difficult decision, but I’m sure there will be another day and there are many other ways to serve. I am deeply committed to public service and have a passion for working on the serious issues facing our State and country.

A campaign for the Senate is about winning and working to be a part of the answer. As a candidate, I have to look supporters in the eye and show them how we win — and what we do when we get there.

After a very careful look, I’ve concluded that this is the wrong race at the wrong time for me and my family.

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U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, a Republican, is ahead of Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, one of his potential Democratic opponents, by ten points, according to a poll by the conservative Civitas Institute.

Among those surveyed, 43.7 percent backed Burr, while 33 percent picked Marshall.

The poll, released Friday, surveyed 600 voters by live interviews on October 20 and 21 and has a margin of error of 4 percent.

Marshall and Durham lawyer Kenneth Lewis have declared their candidacy for the Democratic nomination to challenge Burr next year. Former state Sen. Cal Cunningham is considering a run.

Secretary of State Elaine Marshall is touting her early fundraising success as a way to get more money for her U.S. Senate bid.

Marshall is a veteran of Democratic politics, but so far a front-runner for the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican Sen. Richard Burr has not emerged. 

In a newsletter sent to supporters, Marshall's campaign says she raised $180,000 in the two weeks in September after she filed her federal election paperwork. That gives her enough to pay her campaign expenses through May, according to the memo sent to supporters.

While noting Marshall is on track to meet her fundraising goals, the newsletter notes that 60 percent of primary voters are women and that 75 percent of them will be older than 50. The age statistic that is surely meant to suggest that Marshall, 63, may have more appeal than announced candidate Kenneth Lewis, 48, and possible candidate Cal Cunningham, 36.

That last line of reasoning assumes that people only vote for people who are like themselves. Gov. Beverly Perdue didn't get any special support from women either before or after her election, so that theory may not be totally correct.