Another potential governor might have tapped Lanier Cansler too.

Appointing the Republican to lead the state Department of Health and Human Services gave Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue the chance to note that she'll ignore party affiliations to get reliable agency heads, Lynn Bonner reports.

Another candidate for governor, Republican Fred Smith, turned to Cansler, too. Cansler worked with Smith on his health policies and on Smith's mental health position paper. Smith lost in the GOP primary.

Cansler also contributed $1,000 to Smith's campaign in 2006.

An interesting bit of trivia: According to his voter registration information, the "M" stands for Moose.

Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue said today she will hold off on pursuing her campaign pledges for tuition free community colleges and an increase in the minimum wage because of the sluggish economy.

"I don't believe that my first priority and first accomplishment willl be free community college because of the budget (difficulties)," Perdue said in an interview with Dome Wednesday morning. "It's much harder than it was this time last year."

Perdue and legislators writing the next budget expect to face a gap between revenue and planned spending that could be as large as $3 billion.

Neither the free tuition nor the minimum wage was featured prominently in Perdue's campaign until after her Democratic primary opponent, state Treasurer Richard Moore began trumpeting the ideas. During the general election, her Republican opponent, Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory ridiculed the idea of free tuition by saying that someone would have to pay the costs.

Minimum wage also has moved to the back burner.

"I look forward to continuing to push for a minimum wage increase," Perdue said, "but my priority this year is to keep people working, and I've got folks who talk to me and are willing to take a less-than-minimum wage job right now just to have a paycheck."

Pat McCrory will not run for an eighth term as mayor.

At a press conference this afternoon, the longtime Charlotte mayor and recent unsuccessful Republican gubernatorial nominee said he made the decision in January, regardless of whether he won or lost his campaign for governor.

McCrory said he is proud of the work he's done as mayor creating a new transit system and fighting property tax increases, among other things. His final term will end in December of 2009.

"My heart wants to stay in this job forever, but my soul knows it is time to move on," he said. "As I complete my term in December 2009, I will look to use my skills and experience in other ways in both the public and private sector."

He said that he will consider running for other elected office in the future at either the state or federal level, saying he still has a "desire to serve."

"I will always be honored to be known as 'Mayor Pat,'" he said. 

The National Education Association spent $1.8 million in 2008 races.

The national teachers union, which is affiliated with the N.C. Association of Educators, gave $250,000 to the Alliance for North Carolina, $300,000 to the N.C. Democratic Party and $9,500 to Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue's campaign.

It also spent $1.3 million on research, polling and advertising on behalf of Perdue, including some administrative costs.

Update: Contributions to the Democratic Party updated to include two last-minute filings. 

Second update: Independent expenditures updated as well. 

The AFL-CIO spent $4,000 in 2008.

The coalition of unions gave Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue a $4,000 donation in September. 

The United Food and Commercial Workers Union gave $116,500 in 2008.

The food workers union gave $104,000 to the N.C. Democratic Party, $8,000 to Treasurer-elect Janet Cowell, $4,000 to Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue, and $500 to state Sen.-elect Josh Stein.

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers gave $41,500 in 2008.

The electricians' union gave $30,000 to the N.C. Democratic Party, $5,000 to the N.C. AFL-CIO Victory Fund, $4,000 to Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue and $2,500 to Treasurer-elect Janet Cowell, according to campaign finance reports. 

The Communications Workers of America gave $18,750 in 2008.

The communications workers union gave $3,500 to Democratic Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue, $12,500 to the N.C. Democratic Party, and $2,000 to unsuccessful Democratic lieutenant governor candidate Hampton Dellinger, according to campaign finance reports.

It also gave $250 each to Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand, Rep. Rick Glazier and Democratic House challenger Bev O'Brien.

Senate leader Marc Basnight said he has told Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue that Transportation Board member Lanny Wilson would be a good pick for transportation secretary.

Wilson would be no stranger to Perdue. He is one of a handful of board members who were also fundraisers for her gubernatorial campaign. Two other transportation board members who raised money for Perdue resigned during the campaign. Thomas Betts pressured a city official to raise money for Perdue and Louis Sewell steered roadwork to commercial properties in Jacksonville that he or his son co-owned.

Perdue pledged to use executive orders to take much of the specific road-building decisions away from transportation board members, who are appointed by the governor.

Basnight said that Wilson's fundraising activities wouldn't raise any problems with him running the transportation department.

"I wish she would appoint him. I asked her to," Basnight told reporters Thursday. "I think Lanny would be outstanding.

"He never wants anything for himself. Never has. He's a fundraiser because he cares. And there's not a governor in this country that I'm aware of who will not appoint people who raise money for them," Basnight said. "I would not shy from it. Now she may well do that. She never did listen to me."

Efforts to reach Wilson Thursday afternoon failed. A message to a Perdue spokesman was not immediately returned.

More reasons for Basnight's support and why he wouldn't change the board after the jump.

   Comments (7)

The SEIU PAC spent $410,569 on North Carolina races in 2008.

The political action committee of the Service Employees International Union, which is affiliated with the State Employees Association of North Carolina, spent $323,069 on independent expenditures, including mailers and phone banks, and gave $83,500 to candidates, according to campaign finance reports.

The biggest expense was $147,279 spent on mailers opposing Republican gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory. The union did not spend on any other statewide races.

The group also spent $100,568 on unsuccessful candidate Chuck Stone, who came in fourth out of five Democratic primary candidates for Democratic Sen. John Kerr's seat in May.

And it spent $40,510 opposing Republican Rep. Curtis Blackwood and supporting a primary challenger and $34,711 on opposing incumbent Republican Rep. Leo Daughtry and supporting a Democratic challenger.

Among direct contributions, the union gave to 33 Democratic candidates and three Republicans and donated another $4,000 to the N.C. Democratic Party.

SEIU donated to a dozen Democratic incumbents who were unopposed in either the primary or general elections, including $4,000 apiece to Senate president Marc Basnight and House Speaker Joe Hackney.

More after the jump.

   Comments (3)