Mary Fant Donnan won by a two-to-one margin.

The Winson-Salem Democrat sewed up the nomination for labor commissioner in a runoff primary held today.

With all 100 counties reporting, Donnan has 43,217 votes, or 68 percent. Former labor commissioner John C. Brooks has 20,445, or 32 percent. She now faces incumbent Republican Cherie Berry in November.

Turnout was a paltry 1.9 percent.

In a runoff for the Democratic nomination in state Senate District 5, Don Davis beat Kathy Taft, 63 percent to 37 percent. The seat is currently held by retiring Democratic Sen. John Kerr III.

Davis, the mayor of Snow Hill, had slightly edged Taft, a member of the State Board of Education, in a six-way race in the May primary, but failed to garner a majority. He now faces four-term Rep. Louis Pate, a Wayne County Republican.

And in a runoff for the Republican nomination in state House District 67, Justin Burr defeated Rep. Ken Furr, 58 to 42 percent. Burr had slightly edged Furr in a three-way race on May 6.

Furr was appointed to the seat in August of 2007 after former Rep. David Almond resigned. Burr faces no opposition in November.

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.  

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.