The Wake County chapter of the N.C. Association of Educators endorsed Jack Nichols.

The 5,000-member chapter of the state educators group said Nichols has made education a central issue in his race for the Democratic nomination for the seat held by state Sen. Janet Cowell, who is running for state treasurer.

"Jack Nichols depth of understanding of issues impacting education and it’s importance to our community’s future are unmatched in this race," said chapter president Jennifer Lanane.

Nichols has also been endorsed by the State Employees Association of North Carolina, the state chapter of the National Organization for Women, the N.C. Police Benevolent Association and the Wake County chapter of the N.C. Association of Educators.

Correction: A previous version of this post incorrectly state the N.C. Nurses Association made an endorsement. The association is not endorsing any canddiates in the primary.

The State Employees Assocation of N.C. announced its endorsements in legislative primary races.

The group, which represents 55,000 state workers, endorsed 13 candidates for the state House and 12 candidates for state Senate through its political action committee.

Seven of the candidates are Republicans: Rep. Jeff Barnhart; House candidates George Shaeffer, Sidney Sandy, Nalin Mehta and Shirley Randleman; and Sens. Fletcher Hartsell and Jim Jacumin.

In two cases, it endorsed candidates running against each other: state Sen. Vern Malone and rival Ann Akland; and Senate candidates Jack Nichols and Josh Stein.

In the House, the PAC also endorsed Reps. Angela Bryant, Edith Warren and Drew Saunders and candidates Robert Richardson, Greg Taylor, Charles Graham, Betty Mangum and Ric Marshall.

In the Senate, it endorsed Sens. Floyd McKissick, Ellie Kinnaird, Katie Dorsett and Steve Goss and candidates Shelly Willingham and Chuck Stone.

"We're happy to be able to support candidates who care about quality public services and the employees who work so hard to make this state one of the best places to live," said PAC chairwoman Paula Schubert in a statement.

Josh Stein has decided to spill the beans first.

The Democratic candidate for state Senate District 16 released his fundraising numbers for the final quarter of 2007 this morning.

Stein said that he raised more than $133,000 from more than 400 contributors.

Some of his donors include former House Majority Leader Phil Baddour, Democratic pollster Dean Debnam, former Senate candidate D.G. Martin and Capitol Broadcasting head Jim Goodmon.

"We are energized by this influx of support and by the great response Josh is getting as he meets with voters, sharing concerns and identifying progressive solutions," said campaign spokesman Jason Sulham in a statement. 

No word yet from Stein's primary opponent, Jack Nichols. 

Note to Stein: Here's a mnemonic: Capitol and Goodmon both are spelled with an "o."

John M. Alexander Jr. is considering a run for the state Senate.

A native of Raleigh, Alexander went to Broughton High and N.C. State. He now runs a family-owned business, Capital International Trucks, and is active in local nonprofits. He raised $2.5 million for the Hillsborough Street YMCA in Raleigh, which bears his family's name.

Alexander is considering a run for the Republican nomination for the District 16 seat being vacated by Sen. Janet Cowell.  

On the Democratic side, former Wake County commissioner Jack Nichols and assistant to the state attorney general Josh Stein are running.

Jack Nichols is going on the air early.

The former Wake County commissioner will begin airing two 15-second television ads on regular and cable television in the Triangle starting Thursday.

He is running against Josh Stein in the Democratic primary for state Sen. Janet Cowell's seat.

Campaign consultant Mike Davis said that that ads will air "intermittently" from now on, though it is not "a big buy." He believes political types will be paying attention because of the presidential race.

"It's going to get so cluttered and so negative in April and May," he said. "We know that there's quite a few voters in the district that may not remember Jack when he was county commissioner here and we want to reintroduce him to voters."

In the first ad, a voter laments that all politicians are the same. "You don't know Jack," her friend says.

In the second ad, the first voter notes Nichols accomplishments: Cofounding Smart Start in Wake County and "fighting for our public schools" as county commissioner.

Jack Nichols plans to run for the state Senate seat being vacated by Janet Cowell.

The former Wake County commissioner lost to Cowell in the 2004 Democratic primary. And now that Cowell is running for state treasurer, he wants to take another shot, Rob Christensen reports.

"I believe that my supporters, including the groups who endorsed me, from three years ago will continue to support me," he wrote Dome.

Nichols is a well-known figure in Raleigh politics, having served as lobbyist for former Gov. Jim Hunt, and has also been involved in numerous civic causes. He works as an attorney for Allen and Pinnix.

Also looking at the Cowell seat is Josh Stein, who heads the consumer division of the state attorney general's office.

Don Beason long used the name The Capitol Group for his business.

It shows up on archives of his Web site, on lobbying forms he filed, in news articles about him and as an alias on the property records of his office in Bishops Ridge.

But he never registered the name with the state or Wake County.

Technically, it is a misdemeanor in North Carolina to engage in business under an assumed name without filing with either the Secretary of State or the local Register of Deeds, though the archaic law is almost never enforced.

Corporate attorneys say the main reasons to register a business are to protect your right to the name, set up a business checking account and notify potential clients who you are.

In fact, another lobbyist registered the name in 2000.

Attorney Jack Nichols, who helped Lisa Piercy file the paperwork with Wake County, said it was "an unfortunate coincidence" that she chose the rather obvious name.

"We did a check at that point in time, and the name was not being used," he said.