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Ed Turlington, a Raleigh lawyer long plugged into state and national Democratic politics, has been elected to the Democratic National Committee.

He was one of 75 at-large delegates nominated by Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, the party chairman, and elected by the DNC at its meeting last weekend in Austin, Rob Christensen reports.

Also elected from North Carolina was Joyce Brayboy, the former chief of staff to Congressman Mel Watt of Charlotte.

Turlington was in some pretty good company having been chosen along with such major party figures as Elaine Kamarck, Maria Echaveste, Alexis Herman, Dennis Archer, Harold Ickes, Gerald McEntee, Anna Burger, John Sweeney, and Don Fowler.

Turlington was general chairman of John Edwards 2004 presidential campaign and was a top aide to Sen. Bill Bradley's 2000 campaign, as well being closely associated with such Tar Heel figures as former Gov. Jim Hunt and Sen. Terry Sanford.

He was apppointed to the DNC's Resolutions Committee. Appointed co-chair of the DNC's Credentials Committee was Everett Ward of Raleigh, a former executive director of the Democratic Party.

Barack Obama is drawing attention to North Carolina.

The Democratic presidential candidate's campaign staffers will host a conference call this afternoon to draw attention to the state's May 6 primary.

They are trying to draw attention to rival Hillary Clinton's take on the state.

In a recent conference call, a Clinton spokesman did not include North Carolina on the list of upcoming states that they thought she would do well in. And in today's New York Times, a Clinton adviser downplayed Obama's strength in the South:

"Most of those states haven't voted Democratic in a presidential since the Johnson landslide over Goldwater in 1964, and we don't see that changing," said Harold Ickes, a senior adviser to Mrs. Clinton. "They're great states, but Idaho, Nebraska and the Carolinas are not going to be in the Democratic column in November. He's winning the Democratic process, but that is virtually irrelevant to the general election."

U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield, an Obama supporter, will be on the call.

Previously: N.C. hasn't voted for a Democrat for president since 1976. 

North Carolina's presidential primary will be in the spotlight.

After Hillary Clinton's wins in Texas and Ohio ended Barack Obama's 12-state winning streak, the fight has moved on to Pennsylvania and North Carolina, the two states offering more delegates than any other remaining primaries.

The Clinton campaign Wednesday authorized funding for a North Carolina office and in the coming weeks will begin staffing it.

"You're going to see campaign apparatus opening up in North Carolina before long," said Harold Ickes, a top Clinton adviser. "You're going to see more and more activity." 

Obama organizer Ken Eudy said the campaign is shifting resources to Pennsylvania and then here.

"We don't know when the moving vans are coming in," Eudy said, "but they're coming." (Char-O)