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.

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State Senate candidate Kathy Taft hasn't let a contested primary battle keep her away from her duties as a member of the State Board of Education.

Taft took a break from the campaign trail this week to be in Raleigh from Tuesday through today for this month's board meeting, Keung Hui reports. Taft is one of six Democrats trying to replace the retiring Sen. John Kerr for the District 5 seat that includes Greene, Pitt and Wayne counties.

Howard Lee, chairman of the State Board and a former state senator, wished Taft well today.

"We would be delighted to have some people there that understand us," Lee told Taft, which drew laughter from those at the meeting.

In contrast to Taft, neither of the two major Democratic gubernatorial candidates were at this week’s State Board meeting. Both Lt. Gov. Beverly Purdue and state Treasurer Richard Moore are members of the State Board.

Their absence was noted today when Lee asked the two student members of the State Board to come up to make a presentation. He invited one person to use his seat and the other to use Perdue’s vacant seat.

Correction: Lee's quote was inaccurately phrased in an earlier version of this post.  

Republicans have high hopes in nine state Senate races.

Jim Blaine, director of the N.C. Senate Republican Committee, gave Dome a breakdown of the races he thinks the GOP will do well in, based on the filings so far.

Fifth: Rep. Louis Pate Jr., a Republican, faces the winner of a five-way Democratic primary for the open seat of retiring Democratic Sen. John Kerr.

Eighth: Former Wilmington Star-News reporter Bettie Fennell, a Republican, faces Democratic Sen. R.C. Soles Jr. in a district that is changing demographically.

Ninth: Wilmington attorney Michael Lee, a Republican, has filed to run against Democratic Sen. Julia Boseman, who has not yet filed for re-election.

24th: Commercial real estate broker Rick Gunn Jr., a Republican, squares off against Democratic Sen. Tony Foriest.

43rd: Realtor Kathy Harrington, wife of former Rep. Michael Harrington, faces Democratic Sen. David Hoyle in a district that leans Republican.

45th: Boone dentist Jerry Butler has signed up to face Democratic Sen. Steve Goss. Other Republicans may file in this race as well.

46th: State Rep. Debbie Clary, a Republican, faces either Phil Clark or Keith Melton for the seat of Democratic Sen. Walter Dalton, who is running for lieutenant governor.

47th: Former state Sen. Keith Presnell, a Republican, faces Democratic Sen. Joe Sam Queen in a seemingly never-ending grudge match.

50th: Republican Susan C. Pons, who works at a Christian training center, faces Democratic Sen. John Snow.

Don Davis isn't wasting any time.

With a potential five-way race in the Democratic primary to replace retiring Sen. John Kerr, the Snow Hill mayor has already sent out a mailer.

The material is mostly biographical.

It notes that he was re-elected in 2005 with 86 percent of the vote, served in the U.S. Air Force, and earned a doctorate in education from East Carolina University.

It also adds this interesting tidbit: As protocol flight line duty officer, he was responsible for coordinating Air Force One flights during the Clinton administration. 

Tony Moore may run for state Senate.

The former state senator told Dome that he is considering running for the seat of retiring Sen. John Kerr, a Goldsboro Democrat.

"As a former senator from this district I feel my experience would help serve the district's needs," he wrote in an e-mail.

Moore switched from Democrat to Republican to unsuccessfully run against Kerr in 2004. He told Dome that he switched back to his old party on Jan. 2 of this year.

According to the State Board of Elections, he is currently registered as a Democrat. 

Already announced: State Board of Education member Kathy Taft, Snow Hill Mayor Don Davis and retired community college president Edward Wilson. Greenville attorney Marvin Blount III may also run. All are Democrats.

Edward H. Wilson Jr. will run for state Senate.

The retired president of Wayne Community College announced today that he will run for the seat of retiring Sen. John Kerr, a Goldsboro Democrat.

"I believe that my experience in education and economic and workforce development and my knowledge of the legislative process that came from working directly with the legislature for nearly 10 years, position me to be an effective voice for the Fifth District and all of Eastern North Carolina," he said in a statement.

Wilson was the N.C. Community College System's President of the Year in 2004. His father served five terms in the legislature.

He faces state Board of Education member Kathy Taft and Snow Hill Mayor Don Davis in the primary. Greenville attorney Marvin Blount III may also run. 

Hat Tip: Jerry Allegood 

Kathy A. Taft is running for state Senate.

A member of the N.C. State Board of Education, Taft announced today that she would run for the seat of retiring Sen. John Kerr, a Goldsboro Democrat.

"Senator Kerr is a great public servant, and has served the eastern part of our state for over 20 years," Taft said in a statement. "I have great admiration for John."

Taft, a Democrat, was appointed to the state board in 1995 by Gov. Jim Hunt and is now in her second term. She previously served on the Pitt County Board of Education.

Snow Hill Mayor Don Davis, a Democrat, is also running. Greenville attorney Marvin Blount III, also a Democrat, said he will decide on a run after the holidays.

State Sen. John Kerr is retiring from the legislature.

He will serve the remainder of his current term of office, which expires at the end of 2008, but he will not seek re-election, according to a news release from state Senate leader Marc Basnight.

Kerr intends to remain active in politics and to campaign on behalf of others. Kerr, a Democrat and a lawyer from Goldsboro, represents Greene County and parts of Wayne and Pitt Counties.

Update: Snow Hill Mayor Don Davis, a Democrat, announced last month that he will run for Kerr's seat. Greenville attorney Marvin Blount III said he is also considering a run.

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Bishops Ridge has long been popular among Raleigh politicos.

Disgraced former House Speaker Jim Black roomed with then Rep. Bill Culpepper in this condominium. His aide, Meredith Norris, owns one across the street. Lobbyist Don Beason worked out of another condo.

They're not the only ones. In fact, the complex might as well be the Melrose Place of Raleigh politics.

Top lobbyist Roger Bone also has an address on Brighthurst Drive, as does Sen. John Kerr.

There's nothing necessarily nefarious about that. The complex is close to Wade Avenue — convenient to driving to the airport or out of town — and to Glenwood Avenue — good for going to Jones Street, heading downtown or just getting some pizza.

In addition, there's a nice park nearby and the condos date to the mid 1980s, making them nice, but also affordable for an out-of-town legislator.

Update: Reliable sources in Bishops Ridge say that Sen. James Forrester and former Secretary of Revenue Norris Tolson also live there.

Sen. John Kerr III introduced a bill as one "for the little people."

Apparently, he really meant it. The legislation would affect only a couple businesses in North Carolina.

The bill, which passed the Senate today, reduces the sales tax on baked goods bought at thrift stores. But legislative researchers could only find two bakery thrift stores in the entire state.

(In fact, they couldn't provide legislators an estimate of how much the exemption would cost "without violating confidentiality.")

The bill would treat some day-old baked goods like groceries, which are taxed at 2 percent, instead of prepared food, which is taxed at 6.75 percent.

A staffer at Arnold Bakery Thrift Store in Greensboro said they sell day-old bread, bagels and English muffins, as well as Pepperidge Farm cookies.