Hampton Dellinger has repaid his parents — a little.

The candidate for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor received $535,000 in loans from his parents, Anne and Walter Dellinger of Chapel Hill.

The senior Dellinger is a noted attorney and former solicitor general in the Clinton administration.

According to his most recent campaign finance report, Hampton Dellinger repaid his parents $20,000 of the loans on June 19, a little over a month after the primary in which he came in second.

That amounts to about 3.7 percent of the money they loaned him. 

The report also showed that Dellinger had $39,166 in cash on hand at the end of the campaign, which could make repaying the remaining $515,000 difficult. 

Hampton Dellinger is moving into private practice.

The former candidate for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor has joined the recently established office of Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson in Chapel Hill.

Dellinger, who previously worked as legal counsel to Gov. Mike Easley, will handle commercial litigation and regulatory issues.

"Hampton worked with our firm years ago when he was in law school, and we've kept in touch ever since," said firm partner Robert Griffin. 

Dellinger joins corporate attorney Jeffrey Hart in the office. 

Barack Obama will give a speech on the economy at the N.C. State Fairgrounds today.

Dome is at the event, where doors opened about a half hour ago.

So far, we've spotted a few of the usual suspects: U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield, state Sen. Floyd McKissick, state Reps. Dan Blue and Ty Harrell, former lieutenant governor candidate Hampton Dellinger, former Raleigh City Councilman Brad Thompson and Capstrat founder Ken Eudy.

The campaign of Sen. Janet Cowell, who is running for state treasurer and lives nearby, is handing out fliers at the front of the Exposition Center building.

Update: Also in the crowd: Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, House Speaker Joe Hackney, Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand, superdelegate David Parker, former state Auditor Ralph Campbell, state Reps. Linda Coleman and Jennifer Weiss, and Raleigh businessman John Crumpler.

State Treasurer Richard Moore just wandered through the press section by mistake and Dome asked what he was doing in our less illustrious section of the room.

"I don't know, but I'm going to do my best to get out of here," he said. 

Who won the ad wars?

One measure is which candidate won. But the political ads are an art into themselves — great ads have been made for lousy candidates, and vice versa.

Which is why Under the Dome wants to recognize the work that went into those ubiquitous political commercials on TV.

The first category for a Domey is Best Positive Ad. (We define that as an ad that does not directly attack one's opponent, although it may make negative statements about "lobbyists" or "special interests.")

The nominees are:

Hillary Clinton: "Mike Easley," "Maya Angelou," "David," "Tammie," "Jewel," "N.C. Ask Me"

Barack Obama: "Minute," "Return," "In America," "Billy," "Turn It Off," "Nothing's Changed," "Need," "Join," "Enough"

Pat McCrory: "Change is Coming," "Jobs," "Immigration," "Caravan"

Beverly Perdue: "Andy Griffith," "Safe Schools," "Positive," "Generations," "Love and Faith"

Richard Moore: "Bulldog," "Challenge," "Studies," "Results"

Fred Smith: "Kitchen Table," "Immigration"

Bill Graham: "Together"

Kay Hagan: "Energy," "Roots"

Hampton Dellinger: "Real Change," "Meet Hampton"

Walter Dalton: "Walter Dalton"

Robert Pittenger: "Pork"

Walter Jones: "Pantano," "Border Security," "Military"

Janet Cowell: "Burned"

David Young: "Families," "Experience"

Wayne Goodwin: "Competence"

Post your vote in the comment thread below. 

Speculation is rampant about the potential for a primary runoff.

On the Republican side, gubernatorial candidates Fred Smith and Pat McCrory are running neck and neck, but a stronger than expected showing from the back of the pack by either Bob Orr or Bill Graham could deny them an outright win.

On the Democratic side, a four-way lieutenant governor's race between Dan Besse, Walter Dalton, Hampton Dellinger and Pat Smathers could be similarly close.

To win outright, a candidate must get more than 40 percent of the vote. If more than one candidate gets over that benchmark, the top vote-getter wins outright.

But if no one gets over 40, the second-place finisher can request a recount. To do so, the candidate must make a request in writing within nine days — including weekends — of Election Day, or noon on Thursday, May 15.

If a runoff election is held, it would be on June 24.

Hampton Dellinger, a Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, has a new tv ad saying he can bring N.C. National Guard troops home from Iraq, reports Ben Niolet.

What the ad says: “Who’s the only Democrat for lieutenant governor endorsed by police and teachers? Hampton Dellinger.

"Backed by civil rights and environmental groups? Hampton Dellinger.

“Pro-choice and will protect women’s health? Hampton Dellinger.

“With a real plan for seniors? Hampton Dellinger.

“The only candidate endorsed by workers? Hampton Dellinger.

“Fighting to bring jobs to every part of the state. Hampton Dellinger.

“And bring our National Guard home from Iraq? Hampton Dellinger.

“Hampton Dellinger. Democrat for lieutenant governor.”

The background: Dellinger is endorsed by the American Federation of Teachers. He is endorsed by the state chapter of the Police Benevolent Association, which represents law enforcement officers.

Dellinger was endorsed by the Durham People’s Alliance, which supports many issues, including civil rights and the environment. The ad does not specify which civil rights groups Dellinger considers “major,” nor does it specify which five endorsed him. Dellinger says he is pro-choice, and he is endorsed by NARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina.

Dellinger has developed a plan for seniors that includes a rating system for adult care homes and a tax credit for long-term care insurance. Dellinger has the endorsement of the state chapter of the AFL-CIO, a federation of labor unions.

According to Article III, Section five of the North Carolina Constitution, the governor is the commander-in-chief of the state’s National Guard, except when the troops are called into federal service. Then they are under the command of the president.

Is the ad accurate? The ad is misleading and an exaggeration. Dellinger cannot accurately say he can bring National Guard soldiers home. The sporadic use of the word “only” could leave some viewers with the mistaken impression that Dellinger is the only candidate with some of the type of endorsements he claims. For example, Dellinger is not the only candidate with the support of law enforcement officers, although he is the only candidate with the support of the Police Benevolent Association. He is not the only candidate with the support of environmental groups.

Hampton Dellinger says the lieutenant governor can help bring National Guard troops home.

In a response to an attack by rival Pat Smathers over a recent ad, the candidate for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor said that as the state's No. 2 official he could "use the power of the office" to speak up.

"Politics is known as the art of the possible, and strong statewide leadership most definitely can help bring our National Guard back home where it belongs," he wrote. 

Dellinger noted that legislators in at least nine states are considering legislation or referenda to bring Guardsmen home. He says he would work with the legislature to do the same.

"Personally, I think that being North Carolina’s #2 elected official gives the Lt. Governor not just the right but the responsibility to speak out for the North Carolinians who are currently fighting overseas in a needless war," he wrote.

Walter Dalton says Hampton Dellinger's ad is "extreme pandering."

In an e-mail to supporters, the candidate for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor attacked Dellinger's pledge in a recent ad to "bring our National Guard home from Iraq."

"Like most Americans and nearly all Democrats, Senator Dalton wants to bring our troops home from Iraq," Dalton spokesman Lewis Lowe said in a statement. "But to tell voters that the lieutenant governor can bring the National Guard home is disturbing on many levels."

Lowe added that the ad "illustrates a lack of understanding" of the office of lieutenant governor and "a deep underestimation of North Carolina voters if he believes they will buy his extreme pandering."

Previously: Smathers, Besse object to ad. 

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. 

Pat Smathers calls Hampton Dellinger's pledge to bring National Guard troops home "outrageous."

The candidate for lieutenant governor took aim at a recent ad by Dellinger, a rival for the Democratic nomination.

"Who's the only Democrat for lieutenant governor ... fighting to ... bring our National Guard home from Iraq?" a narrator asks in the ad.

In a comment on the Dome blog, Smathers says the ad is "pure pandering" and "nothing short of outrageous."

"As a lieutenant colonel in the National Guard, I know the lieutenant governor has no power to deliver on that promise," he writes. "Even the governor can't bring our troops home. This sort of misleading rhetoric makes a mockery of our democratic system."