Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton raised $2.5 million by the end of the year.

According to campaign finance reports submitted to the State Board of Elections, the Rutherfordton Democrat raised $145,000 in the final quarter of the year.

Major donors during that period included Carolina Crossroads event coordinator Elizabeth Branham, Greenville attorney Marvin K. Blount III, Chapel Hill developer Michael Cucchiara and former UNC-Wilmington Chancellor Jim Leutze.

The political action committees for BB&T, the Carolina Asphalt Pavement Association, Caremark Rx employees, Dominion, the Eastern band of Cherokee Indians, John Deere, McGuire Woods, and the N.C. Association of Educators.

He also received donations from the campaigns of state Sens. Dan Clodfelter and Tony Rand, retiring Rep. Jim Harrell, Congressman Heath Shuler, among others.

In addition, Dalton received a total of $95,000 from the N.C. Democratic Party. 

Gov. Beverly Perdue raised $17.8 million for her campaign.

According to the final campaign finance report filed with the State Board of Elections, Perdue raised $2.4 million from Oct. 19 to the end of the year. 

Her biggest donors that quarter included Pfizer Vice President Marcus Abrams, Brody's owner Hyman Brody, SAS Institute CEO Jim Goodnight, Fortress Investment Group managing director Michael Malone, SMI Motorsports vice president Marcus Smith.

She also received major donations from the Communications Workers of America, Planned Parenthood of Central N.C., the Conservation Council of N.C., the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and PACs for Pfizer, GE, chiropractors and certified public accountants.

Other donations from the campaigns of state Reps. Jim Harrell and Bruce Goforth and Congressman Heath Shuler, among others.

Perdue also spent $17.7 million on her campaign.

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.

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

Rep. Jim Harrell lost his bid for re-election but may keep a Raleigh work address. He's in the mix for an assistant secretary's post at the Department of Commerce.

Harrell, a Surry County Democrat, said the transition team for Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue has not interviewed him, but he sidestepped whether he was making a pitch for the job.

"I'm always looking for a way to help North Carolina's economic development," said Harrell, a three-term lawmaker who was defeated by Republican Sarah Stevens in the swing district.

As a legislator he helped push legislation creating incentives for movie production in the state and another bill that updated other tax incentives for new businesses.

Harrell was touted as a likely candidate for lieutenant governor three years ago, but his role as a loyal ally to then-House Speaker Jim Black likely fouled that up. A federal grand jury called Harrell as a witness during the investigation that led to Black's plea and imprisonment on curruption charges.

Harrell also received widespread snickering over his support for the efforts to create the Sparta Teapot Museum in his district. Black earmarked $400,000 in state money for the project, which would house a famous collection from a California benefactor. U.S. Senators Richard Burr and Elizabeth Dole and U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx, all Republicans, secured $500,000 in federal funds for the museum.

Plans have since been scaled back and shifted away from housing the entire teapot collection.

Which House Democrats are in Republican-leaning districts?

According to the N.C. Partisan Index, 10 Democratic representatives are in districts that lean Republican.

The index was created by the conservative Civitas Institute, using results from the 2004 elections. Ratings were based on how the district voted in Council of State races when compared to state as a whole.

Five of the blue fish in red ponds are on House Republican's wish list.

Below, the representatives and their district ratings, from most Republican to least. 

Rep. Ray Warren (R+11), Rep. Alice Graham Underhill (R+6), Rep. Bob England (R+6), Rep. Walter Church Sr. (R+4), Rep. Jim Harrell III (R+4), Rep. Cullie Tarleton (R+3), Rep. Ty Harrell (R+2), Rep. Arthur Williams (R+1), Rep. R. Van Braxton (R+1) House Majority Leader Hugh Holliman (R+1).

In addition, one Republican is in a Democratic-leaning district. Rep. Bill Daughtridge, who is running for state treasurer, is from a D+3 district.

His seat is on the Democrat's wish list. 

Earlier: Blue fish, red pond, Senate edition