Could there have been another Bowles in a Democratic administration?

Gov. Beverly Perdue said that she heard the Obama administration had made a run at Crandall Bowles to be U.S. Commerce secretary, but that Bowles said she was not interested, Rob Christensen reports.

Bowles is the former CEO of Springs Industries. She is also the spouse of Erskine Bowles, the president of the University of North Carolina. Erskine Bowles was head of the Small Business Administration and White House chief of staff under President Bill Clinton.

Obama has had difficulty filling the commerce post with both New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and New Hampshire Sen. Judd Gregg withdrawing their names.

Former Washington Gov. Gary Locke was nominated instead.

Auditor Beth Wood raised $109,578 in her successful run.

The Raleigh Democrat reported raising $7,700 in from Oct. 19 to the end of the year, according to campaign finance disclosure reports.

Her largest contributors for the quarter included retiring Insurance Commissioner Jim Long, Lenoir developer Larry Taylor, and Crandall Bowles, wife of UNC System President Erskine Bowles.

Wood also received significant contributions from Long's campaign committee.

She spent all but $1,920 of the money she raised.

Wood defeated incumbent Auditor Les Merritt. His finance disclosure reports show that he raised $542,000 in his bid for re-election.

Another name has surfaced for the critical Commerce Secretary job.

Edgar M. Roach Jr. of Chapel Hill is reportedly under consideration by Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue's transition team for the Cabinet post, which leads the state's efforts to recruit and retain businesses.

Roach is the retired chief executive officer of Dominion Delivery Companies as well as Virginia Power and North Carolina Power.

In 2005, Gov. Mike Easley appointed him to the 15-member board of the Golden Leaf Foundation, which distributes money from the tobacco settlement. 

Current Secretary Jim Fain has said he will not continue in the post. Charlotte businesswoman Crandall Bowles, Sen. David Hoyle, retiring Rep. Jim Harrell and former deputy Tony Copeland are also rumored to be in the running.

Rep. Bill Owens, another person who has been mentioned for the job, has said he is not under consideration.

Names have risen and fallen like the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

But with no Cabinet-level appointments made yet by Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue, the guessing game on her administration continues.

(Perdue has named a transition team, a chief of staff and the head of a public campaign finance project, however.)

Here's the latest rundown:

Transportation: State Sen. Clark Jenkins chairs the Appropriations committee on transportation. Gene Conti is a former assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Lanny Wilson is vice chairman of the N.C. Turnpike Authority and has Senate leader Marc Basnight's backing. David Joyner is a transportation expert and head of the turnpike authority. Nina Szlosberg, a Board of Transportation member appointed to oversee environmental issues, has the support of transit advocates, women political leaders and environmentalists.

Correction: Crime Control Secretary Bryan Beatty is reportedly under consideration.

Crime Control: Scott Thomas is the district attorney for Carteret, Craven and Pamlico counties and served in the state Senate from 2000 to 2005.

Juvenile Justice: Linda Hayes has chaired the Governor's Crime Commission since 1995 and is a past chair of the national Coalition for Juvenile Justice.

Commerce: Senate Finance Committee chairman David Hoyle is well known as an advocate for business in the legislature. Rep. Jim Harrell helped pass incentives bills. Former deputy Tony Copeland now works in the private sector.

Revenue: Former state Sen. Oscar Harris served as Perdue's campaign treasurer.

Legislative Liaison: Former Senate budget analyst Andy Willis is vice president of government relations for the University of North Carolina system.

Health and Human Services: Perdue may conduct a national search for this post.

Environment and Natural Resources: Current secretary Bill Ross has served since 2001 and is reportedly interested in sticking around.

Administration: State Rep. Alma Adams filmed a TV ad for Perdue in the primary, but later criticized her transition team for its lack of diversity.

Cultural Resources: Adams, an art professor, may also be considered for this department.

Charlotte Office: Crandall Bowles is the former chair of Springs Industries and wife of UNC system president Erskine Bowles.

This week's edition of N.C. Spin has some more speculation on Cabinet appointments.

With the benefit of hindsight, we at Dome can say the bit about Rep. Bill Owens being up for secretary of Commerce under Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue is not true, but we can't fault them for that.

(Heck, we thought it too until this morning.)

The other name mentioned by the weekly online gossip column:

We have heard recently that Governor-elect Perdue plans to fulfill a promise to Charlotte leaders by opening a Charlotte Governor's office and that Crandall Bowles, wife of UNC President Erskine Bowles and former head of Springs Industries, might head up the Charlotte office.

Previously, N.C. Spin (and Dome) had said that Bowles might be up for a position as commerce secretary.

Rep. Bill Owens says he's not in the running for a Cabinet position.

The Pasquotank County Democrat told Dome this morning that reports that he was under consideration for the state secretary of Commerce under Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue are "a false rumor."

"Economic development is my love," he said. "And I certainly support her getting a great secretary of commerce — not that (current) Secretary (Jim) Fain hasn't done a great job — but I'm not under consideration for any job."

Owens, who was spotted going into the lieutenant governor's office yesterday, said he met with Perdue and talked with her about "a number of issues."

"She's a dear friend," he said.

But he said he's just looking forward to going back into session, re-electing Rep. Joe Hackney as speaker and getting to work. 

Fain has said he will not continue in the post. Charlotte businesswoman Crandall Bowles, Sen. David Hoyle, retiring Rep. Jim Harrell and former deputy Tony Copeland are also rumored to be in the running.

Jim Fain will not remain secretary of commerce under Gov-elect Beverly Perdue.

A member of Gov. Mike Easley's so-called "Iron Cabinet," the longest-serving secretary of the state Department of Commerce is moving on after the end of the Easley administration, according to a department spokeswoman.

"Secretary Fain has no plans to continue with the new administration," said Kathy Neal.

She said that she does not know his future plans yet, but she said she does not think he's retiring for good, but more likely looking for a new challenge.

"I don't think it's in his nature" to retire, she joked.

Fain was appointed Commerce secretary in 2001. The position is key to the state's efforts to recruit and retain businesses and is heavily involved in the use of state incentives.

Perdue's transition team has not made any announcements on Fain's replacement, although state Reps. Bill Owens and Jim Harrell, Sen. David Hoyle, Charlotte businesswoman Crandall Bowles and former deputy Tony Copeland have been rumored to be under consideration.

One member of the Iron Cabinet may stay — in a different position.

One bit of speculation among the well- and sometimes not-so-well-informed in the state capital is that Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue may keep Bryan Beatty on board.

Beatty has served Gov. Mike Easley since 2001 as secretary of Crime Control and Public Safety and is reportedly interested in staying. However, Perdue may shift him to the Department of Correction, where fellow "Iron Secretary" Theodis Beck is retiring.

In other news, Rep. Bill Owens, a Pasquotank County Democrat who was ranked among the most effective in the House in 2007, may be up for the secretary of Commerce position. (N.C. Spin had previously related this rumor.)

Other names that had been discussed for that position included Crandall Bowles, Sen. David Hoyle, retiring Rep. Jim Harrell and former deputy Tony Copeland.

Asheville Citizen-Times reporter Jordan Schrader writes on his Capital Letters blog that current Commerce Secretary Jim Fain doesn't expect to remain in the post.

Update: Owens was spotted visiting the lieutenant governor's office on Blount Street this afternoon.

Who might Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue appoint to her Cabinet?

The New Bern Democrat has already appointed a transition team and chief of staff and said that she will put Tom Lambeth in charge of an endowment for gubernatorial campaigns, but she has not yet named anyone to the 10 positions that run state departments.

Based on conversations with Raleigh insiders, a few names have come up:

Transportation: State Sen. Clark Jenkins chairs the Appropriations committee on transportation. Gene Conti is a former assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Lanny Wilson is vice chairman of the N.C. Turnpike Authority and has Senate leader Marc Basnight's backing. David Joyner is a transportation expert and head of the turnpike authority. Nina Szlosberg, a Board of Transportation member appointed to oversee environmental issues, has the support of transit advocates, women political leaders and environmentalists.

Crime Control: Scott Thomas is the district attorney for Carteret, Craven and Pamlico counties and served in the state Senate from 2000 to 2005. Current Secretary Bryan Beatty has served in that position since 2001 and is reportedly interested in staying.

Juvenile Justice: Linda Hayes has chaired the Governor's Crime Commission since 1995 and is a past chair of the national Coalition for Juvenile Justice.

Commerce: Crandall Bowles is the former chair of Springs Industries and wife of UNC system president Erskine Bowles. Senate Finance Committee chairman David Hoyle is well known as an advocate for business in the legislature. Rep. Jim Harrell helped pass incentives bills.

Revenue: Former state Sen. Oscar Harris served as Perdue's campaign treasurer.

Health and Human Services: Former Raleigh city manager Dempsey Benton was brought in to clean up problems in the mental health system and is reportedly interested in staying.

Environment and Natural Resources: Current secretary Bill Ross has served since 2001 and is reportedly interested in sticking around.

Administration: State Rep. Alma Adams filmed a TV ad for Perdue in the primary, but later criticized her transition team for its lack of diversity.

Cultural Resources: Adams, an art professor, may also be considered for this department.

In addition, National Education Association executive director John Wilson may be under consideration for an advisory role in education, although the state Superintendent of Public Instruction is elected separately from the Cabinet.

Previously: Five Perdue appointments to watch

N.C. Spin has heard some of the same gossip as Dome.

The weekly politics newsletter seconds some of the names we've heard tossed around for Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue's administration.

(Those would be Bryan Beatty and Scott Thomas for Crime Control; Crandall Bowles at Commerce; Clark Jenkins, Gene Conti and Lanny Wilson at Transportation; and Dempsey Benton, Bill Ross and Britt Cobb to stay.)

They also toss out some new names:

Cultural Resources: Kay Myers, wife of former state transportation board member and Democratic fundraiser Gordon Myers of Asheville.

Education: Howard Lee to remain chair of the board of education and J.B. Buxton to remain advisor to the governor on education.

Commerce: Former deputy Tony Copeland, now working for Longistics in Raleigh.

Environment and Natural Resources: Current assistant secretary Robin Smith, Richard Rogers and former UNC-Wilmington chancellor Jim Leutze.

Administration: Rep. Alma Adams of Greensboro.

Employment Security Commission: Current head Harry Payne to remain.

Office of State Personnel: Rep. Linda Coleman of Knightdale.

The usual caveat applies that the above names are just gossip. The Perdue transition team says the governor-elect has not made any decisions.