Robert Pittenger is criticizing Walter Dalton's vote to give incentives to Dell.

In a UNC-TV debate Wednesday, Pittenger said Dalton had a "major conflict of interest" in the vote because he owned Dell stock at the time. Dalton said after the debate that he does not manage his own investments and that the stock did not affect his vote.

And he appears to have sold the stock at a loss.

In 2004, Dell was considering building a computer-assembly in the Triad that it said would employ 2,000 people. Lawmakers approved $242 million in incentives over 20 years if Dell were to meet certain benchmarks.

Dalton, a Democrat, voted for the incentives. Pittenger, a Republican, voted against them. They are running for lieutenant governor.

"Probably the biggest concern I have about our differences is that Senator Dalton, he voted for incentives — a $280 million incentive for Dell — at the same time that he owns stock in Dell. And I would say very clearly that's a major conflict of interest," Pittenger said Wednesday.

Dalton said it was still appropriate for him to vote. "The key there was I was voting for jobs for the people of North Carolina," he said.

A campaign spokeswoman said Thursday that, according to a preliminary review of records, Dalton bought about $10,000 worth of Dell stock in November 1999 and sold it for about $4,000 in February 2007.

Dalton has publicly disclosed owning the stock on his state ethics filings since the 1999-2000 election cycle. In his most recent filing, he listed stocks and options in about 25 companies.

State law generally allows legislators to decide for themselves whether a conflict of interest should keep them from voting.

Things at Dell are looking down.

The House's $21.3 billion state budget proposal drew a majority of support from Republicans last week, but their leader took a pass, citing a potential conflict of interest.

House Minority Leader Paul Stam, an Apex Republican, received an excuse from voting on the budget bill. His wife, her relatives and some of his clients have property that could be in the path of the 18-mile Triangle Expressway, a planned toll road in western Wake County.

The state budget proposal includes $25 million in annual funding for the expressway.

Stam was allowed to debate and vote on unrelated amendments to the budget proposal.