Lt. Gov.-elect Walter Dalton says a lot of statewide races were close and Democrats will have to work with Republicans to get things done.

"I think the vote totals were very close, so I think this is still a two-party state," Dalton said. "We've got to bring people together."

Dalton, a state senator, said Robert Pittenger, the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor, called him Tuesday night. The race took a harsh tone in the last weeks of the campaign with Pittenger accusing Dalton of loading state budgets with pork and Dalton emphasizing in ads Pittenger's wealth. Dalton said there were no hard feelings.

"He called and congratulated me," Dalton said. "Some attack ads I didn't agree with and it wasn't pleasant to hear those, but I understand it's politics."

Dalton said he has a good relationship with Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue and expects to take on whatever challenges she gives him.

"That's the one thing we brought to this race. We have an existing working relationship," Dalton said.

Democrat Walter Dalton of Rutherfordton is running this ad in his race for lieutenant governor against Charlotte Republican Robert Pittenger. The Pittenger campaign says the reference to Charlotte is not playing in versions of the ad running in that city.

What the ad says: Announcer: "Only one candidate has the experience to be Lieutenant Governor." Voices: "Walter Dalton. Walter Dalton. Walter Dalton."

Announcer: "Walter Dalton created thousands of new jobs. Walter Dalton capped the gas tax. Walter Dalton strengthened community colleges.

"Walter has raised the salaries of community college professors, supported workplace development programs, supported the historic community college-university bond that has helped strengthen the community college system. And the list goes on.

"And millionaire Robert Pittenger? He opposed raising the minimum wage. He opposed capping the gas tax. And Pittinger opposed incentives that created new jobs.

"Robert Pittinger. A Charlotte millionaire we just can't afford."

Dalton: "I'm Walter Dalton candidate for Lieutenant Governor and I sponsored this ad."

The ad features pictures of a handful of people repeating Dalton's name and then cuts to photos of Pittenger in front of gas pumps and an unemployment office. It also shows Pittenger in front of a lavish home. It's not his.

The background: Dalton voted for jobs and to cap the gas tax, but didn't pass those measures single-handedly. While he co-chairs the Senate budget committee, the Democratic majority passed those measures.

In 2006, Pittenger did join other Republicans in voting against a bill raising the minimum wage from $5.15 to $6.15 an hour in North Carolina, the first hike in nine years. Republicans argued that the increase would hurt employers.

The 2006 and 2007 provisions to cap the gas tax were included in budget bills passed largely along party lines. Pittenger and other Republicans objected to the overall bill on principle, which raised state spending by 10 percent. Pittenger and other Republicans supported a separate GOP bill to cap the gas tax. It died in committee.

Pittenger, who has consistently favored lower taxes, has generally opposed using tax dollars for economic incentives.

As for the "millionaire" label, Pittenger and his wife Suzanne have loaned or contributed $2.6 million to his campaign, according to a recent report filed with the state board of elections.

Is the ad accurate? Yes, though Dalton may be overstating his role in Senate accomplishments. And the votes on the gas tax cap were largely partisan votes Republicans that Pittenger opposed for other reasons.

— Jim Morrill

Walter Dalton promoted his Home Protection Pilot Program in Raleigh today.

At a meeting of the N.C. Housing Finance Agency, the candidate for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor talked about a program that provides no-interest bridge loans to workers who have lost their jobs to prevent them from losing their homes.

The program has helped more than 300 families in 61 counties get bridge loans to keep their homes.

Dalton plans to make the program permanent, extend it to all 100 counties and double the funding.

Spokesman Lewis Lowe said the program began as a response to the displaced textile workers in the senator's home district of Rutherford and Cleveland counties.

"I listen to my constituents," Dalton said. "Many of my textile workers came to me and they were very fearful they would lose their home."

Sharon Lowery, who is a middle school secretary, approached Dalton at a meeting of the N.C. Association of Educators to thank him. She was later invited to share her experience at publicity events.

"I have screamed it from the rooftop 'Thank you Senator Dalton for helping us keep our house,'" she said.

State Sen. Robert Pittenger may run for lieutenant governor.

The Charlotte Republican told the Charlotte Observer he may make a decision soon about whether to run next year.

"We're just trying to figure out which platform would help us advance our reform efforts — serving in the Senate or running for lieutenant governor," he said.

Although the lieutenant governor runs the Senate and sits on several committees, the position has few responsibilities. It is often seen as a route to a gubernatorial run.

Earlier this year, Pittenger ran issue ads on television and hosted events in Charlotte, indicating he might run for a higher office.

State Sen. Walter Dalton was elected the chairman of the Southern Regional Education Board's Legislative Advisory Council.

The Rutherfordton Democrat, who is running for lieutenant governor, was chosen at the at SREB's Legislative Work Conference in Oklahoma City, Jane Stancill reports.

This is the 56th year that the annual conference has brought together legislators from 16 states to develop ways to improve education throughout the South.

The 62-member SREB Legislative Advisory Council is the largest standing advisory group to the Board. The council meets regularly to give guidance to the SREB and address education topics.

Dalton has served on the Board and the Legislative Advisory Council since 2000. Other SREB Board members from North Carolina include Gov. Mike Easley; Howard Lee, chairman, State Board of Education; Cathy Tomon, principal, Broad Creek Middle School, Newport; and Rep. Douglas Y. Yongue of Laurinburg.

SREB is an Atlanta-based nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that advises state education leaders on ways to improve education.

Given all the candidates for lieutenant governor, it's easy to overlook Jack Murphy.

Partly, that's because he's not real. Still, a local polling firm concedes that he might do just as well as the four Democratic contenders.

The name was suggested in a comment thread on liberal group blog BlueNC. A reader named Robert P. suggested that Democratic firm Public Policy Polling add "Jack Murphy" to its next survey, theorizing he would pull in between 5 and 9 percent.

That would put him in the thick of the race, along with Sen. Walter Dalton, Hampton Dellinger, Pat Smathers and Dan Besse, the other Democratic candidates.

"Robert's probably right," conceded pollster Justin Guillory.

May we suggest "From Murphy to Manteo" for his bumper stickers?

Hampton Dellinger has more than a half million in cash on hand.

The Raleigh attorney and former legal counsel to Gov. Mike Easley reported that he has over $520,000 on hand for his bid for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor, Rob Christensen reports.

He raised the money with the help of some high profile individuals including historian John Hope Franklin, author Frances Mayes, jazz musician Branford Marsalis, and defense attorney Wade Smith.

One of his chief rivals, state Sen. Walter Dalton, a Rutherfordton attorney, had earlier reported that he had $570,000 cash on hand at the end of the first six months of 2007. Dalton's backers include former Charlotte Mayor John Belk, former Democratic kingmaker Bert Bennett, and Frank Daniels, former publisher of The News and Observer.

Winston-Salem City Councilman Dan Besse, another Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, reported having $101,600 on hand.

Dan Besse's campaign has raised over $100,000.

The candidate for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor said in an e-mail that he had raised a fourth of the money in the month of June.

He noted that many of the donors were in small amounts of $25, $50 or $100.

The Winston-Salem city council member trails behind Sen. Walter Dalton, who announced yesterday that he had raised over $465,000 during the same time period.

Mid-year campaign finance reports are not due until July 27, so comparable numbers for the other major candidates for the Democratic nomination are not available.

Sen. Walton Dalton has broken a fundraising record for lieutenant governor.

His campaign announced that it raised nearly a half million dollars in the first six months of the year, more than any previous candidate for lieutenant governor at this point in the campaign.

The Rutherfordton Democrat announced his candidacy in mid-March. From Jan. 1 to June 30, he raised over $465,00, according to a statement from his campaign.

Mid-year campaign finance reports are not due until July 27, so comparable numbers for the other major candidates for the Democratic nomination are not available.

Dalton's position as co-chairman of the Senate Appropriations committee is likely a part of his fund-raising success, especially with budget discussions underway.

Clarification: The wording in the press release and an earlier version of this post may have implied that it was all previous candidates combined. That is not the case.

State Sen. Walter Dalton has a fundraiser tonight in Asheville.

The Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor is holding the event at the home of David and Leigh Young. He is a four-term Buncombe County commissioner, former congressional candidate, and a member of the University of North Carolina Board of Governors, Rob Christensen reports.

Sponsors of the event, which costs between $250 and $2,000 per person, include Wayne McDevitt, a former state Democratic chairman and top aide to Gov. Jim Hunt; long-time Democratic activist Bruce Elmore, Rep. Bruch Goforth, state Sen. Martin Nesbitt, Sam Neill, a former UNC board member, Mack Pearsall, a civic activist; Helen Powers, a former Revenue Secretary under GOP Gov. Jim Martin, and Alan Thornburg, a former N.C. Court of Appeals judge.