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Outside spending this campaign season on state races is nearly $14 million, according to the latest numbers.
The governor's race and N.C. Supreme Court races are attracting the most attention, with about 90 percent of the money influencing voters in those two races, according the Institute for Southern Studies, which is tracking the spending.
Dome obtained a production copy of the pro-Justice Paul Newby attack ad on Saturday, and noted that in a title page before the ad begins the company, Innovative Advertising (which also produced the infamous “banjo ad”) lists the client as “Paul Newby for Supreme Court” and not Justice for All N.C.
Independent expenditure committees aren’t allowed to coordinate with a candidate’s campaign.
The super PAC that produced the attack ad against Judge Sam Ervin IV on Friday is responding to criticism that the negative spot crossed a line that hasn’t been crossed before in North Carolina judicial elections.
The Washington, D.C.-based Republican State Leadership Committee has chipped in another $275,000 to help re-elect state Supreme Court Justice Paul Newby over appellate Judge Sam Ervin IV. That brings the outside group's contribution to the cause to $1.1 million.
The RSLC has an interest in retaining North Carolina's newly redrawn legislative and congressional districts, which will help keep Republicans in office in this state and in Congress.
Charlotte Observer cartoonist Kevin Siers' take on this week's campaign finance reports.
Political blogger and longtime veteran N.C. politico Gary Pearce raises an interesting point in a piece Wednesday. He writes:
“Looking at the big money backing Supreme Court Justice Paul Newby, a knowledgeable lawyer warns: ‘There would seem little doubt now but that Justice Newby will have to recuse himself from any redistricting case that might come before the high court.’
Democrat Walter Dalton's campaign filed a campaign finance complaint Wednesday alleging Pat McCrory didn't properly pay for campaign flights and whether it amounted to an illegal corporate contribution.
The Republican's campaign outright rejected the claims and provided documentation that it believes supports its claim. State elections chief Gary Bartlett said his agency received the complaint but the agency doesn't have time to investigate until after next week's election.
The Dalton complaint focuses on private flights for South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker to North Carolina for separate McCrory campaign events.
As noted in today's story, Gov. Bev Perdue is still sitting on $1.26 million as her would-be Democratic successor struggled to raise money. More details from her report:
Perdue started the year with $2 million. Since July, she directed $250,000 to the state Democratic Party and refunded $243,000 to individual donors. A campaign aide said she also gave $4,000 to Dalton, but the donation is not reflected in the records.
Inside the cash reports for Pat McCrory and Walter Dalton, the extent of the Republican's money advantage is readily apparent. A breakdown of the numbers:
McCrory raised most his money this campaign cycle from Mecklenburg County -- $2 million, more than double any other county. He also raised more than $730,000 from out-of-state donors, a total that exceeded his haul from most North Carolina counties combined.
It came in bunches with more than $1 million generated in just one three day period at the end of September.
North Carolina’s two candidates for governor began the final week of the campaign a study in contrasts.
Democratic Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton, the state’s lieutenant governor, was on the attack and raising money, hoping a final surge would allow him to close what the polls suggest is a wide gap with his GOP opponent. Meanwhile, a buoyant Republican Pat McCrory, the former Charlotte mayor, hit a diner and a local GOP headquarters and warned his supporters against overconfidence. Full story here.
More political headlines:
--Gov. Bev Perdue is sitting on $1.2 million as Democrat Walter Dalton faces a 6-to-1 cash deficit to Republican Pat McCrory
