The Conservation Council of N.C. recognized seven state politicians for environmental work.

For its annual "Green Tie" awards, the Raleigh-based nonprofit honored Attorney General Roy Cooper, state Sen. Ellie Kinnaird and state Reps. Angela Bryant, Ruth Samuelson, Cullie Tarleton, Jennifer Weiss and Paul Luebke.

Cooper was praised for having a team of lawyers fight the Tennessee Valley Authority over air pollution.

Bryant, Samuelson and Tarleton were recognized for their support for a smoking ban and bills on energy efficiency and water conservation.

Weiss and Kinnaird were singled out as representative and senator of the year.

Luebke received the "Defender of the Environment" award, the highest award given this year. 

"At the Legislature, it was a short time ago very few people talked about the need to protect the environment and public health," said board president Nina Szlosberg.

She said business and environmental groups now work together.

The Conservation Council of North Carolina endorsed Beverly Perdue.

The environmentalist group's political action committee announced its endorsement of the Democratic gubernatorial candidate today, citing her campaign's plan to develop renewable energy and and her "responsible, reasoned approach" to offshore drilling.

"North Carolina needs a governor that will take seriously the environmental challenges and opportunities facing North Carolina," said president Nina Szlosberg in a statement.

Janet Cowell received $663,403 in contributions by the end of June.

The Democratic nominee for state treasurer received $248,162 in contributions during the second quarter of the year, according to her most recent campaign finance report.

Major donors included N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences executive director Elizabeth Bennett, investment manager Leah Bergman, financial consultant Eugene Cahalan, Crandall Bowles, SAS co-founder John Sall and real estate developer Smedes York.

She also received donations from political action committees for the United Food and Commercial Workers union, UNITE HERE, the AFL-CIO, EMILY's List and the Conservation Council of North Carolina.

She also spent $71,890, leaving her with $197,133 in cash on hand. 

Dan Besse also objects to a Hampton Dellinger ad.

The candidate for lieutenant governor called Dome this afternoon to say he thinks the recent ad by his rival for the Democratic nomination is not accurate in its claim of support from environmental groups.

"Who's the only Democrat for lieutenant governor ... backed by civil rights and environmental groups?" a narrator asks in the ad. 

As the narrator speaks, the following words scroll beneath images of Dellinger: "Endorsed by 5 of 6 Major Civil Rights Groups" and "Endorsed by People's Alliance."

Besse notes that the state's two major environmentalist groups, the N.C. chapter of the Sierra Club and the Conservation Council of North Carolina, have endorsed him, not Dellinger.

The People's Alliance is a Durham group that works on a number of progressive issues, including social and economic justice, education and the environment. 

Previously: Pat Smathers objects to Dellinger ad. 

Dan Besse received $92,285 in contributions by mid-April of 2008.

The Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor received $10,381 during the first quarter of the year, according to his most recent campaign finance report.

Major donors included Blowing Rock therapist Marjory Holder and Greensboro retiree William Knox.

He received $1,000 from the Conservation Council of North Carolina and $100 from Greensboro City Council candidate Joel Landau.

Previously, he loaned his campaign $50,000 and Winston-Salem retiree Kay House loaned him $4,000.

He spent $20,831 in the first quarter of the year on yard signs, office expenses and polling.

That left him with $111,952 in cash on hand at the end of the quarter.

The Conservation Council of N.C. endorsed Josh Stein for state Senate.

The environmental group announced its endorsement of the Raleigh attorney for the Democratic nomination for the seat held by Sen. Janet Cowell, who is running for state treasurer.

"He will be a strong, effective leader for our air, land and water resources and a champion for clean, renewable energy," said Brownie Newman of the Conservation Council in a statement.

Stein has also been endorsed by the Raleigh-Wake Citizens Association, the Teamsters, the State Employees Association of N.C., Equality N.C., NARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina, the N.C. Academy of Trial Lawyers, the AFL-CIO of North Carolina, the Triangle Labor Council, among other groups.

He faces Jack Nichols and Mike Shea in the Democratic primary. 

Public Policy Polling also works for candidates.

The Democratic polling firm has become well known for its tracking polls on the presidential and gubernatorial races in North Carolina.

But it's also done surveys for more than a dozen state candidates, according to campaign finance reports on the State Board of Elections.

The firm has done work for state Reps. Bernard Allen and Grier Martin; state House candidate Ed Ridpath; state Sens. Clark Jenkins and Dan Clodfelter; and judicial candidates Wanda Bryant, Debra Sasser and Elizabeth McCrodden. In Raleigh, it's polled for Mayor Charles Meeker and City Councilman Thomas Crowder.

It's also polled for the Wake County Democratic Party, the N.C. Association of Educators PAC and the Conservation Council of North Carolina.