Council of State races cost $26.3 million more in 2008.

According to an analysis by the National Institute on Money in State Politics, state-level non-judicial campaigns cost $80.9 million last year.

That was a 48 percent increase from 2004.

Most of that money came in the races for governor and lieutenant governor, which went from $19.2 million in 2004 to $42.1 million last year.

Other statewide candidates went up slightly, from $7.4 million to $8.1 million.

Legislative races also remained relatively level, with candidates for the House and Senate receiving $30 million in 2008, up from $28.1 million.

More data is available on the nonpartisan group's Web site.

The Communications Workers of America gave $18,750 in 2008.

The communications workers union gave $3,500 to Democratic Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue, $12,500 to the N.C. Democratic Party, and $2,000 to unsuccessful Democratic lieutenant governor candidate Hampton Dellinger, according to campaign finance reports.

It also gave $250 each to Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand, Rep. Rick Glazier and Democratic House challenger Bev O'Brien.

A new ad from Democratic lieutenant governor candidate Walter Dalton criticizes Republican opponent Robert Pittenger.

Former N.C. Sen. Robert Pittenger, Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, is running a TV ad against his Democratic challenger, state Sen. Walter Dalton.

What the ad says: Announcer: "Raleigh's pigging out. Take Senator Walton Dalton. Dalton gave Goodyear tax breaks...after they hired his brother-in-law. Dalton made state insurance pay for erectile dysfunction drugs...while Dalton's daughter was the drug company's lobbyist. Dalton gave Dell special tax breaks...while he owned Dell stock. Wasteful Walter Dalton. He made government work...For Walter Dalton."

"I'm Robert Pittenger, running for Lieutenant Governor, and I sponsored this message."

The ad features cartoon images of pigs prancing around with bags of money.

The background:

- In September 2007, the legislature passed an economic incentives bill that would give Goodyear more than $24 million over 10 years. On a strictly party-line vote, Dalton voted in favor; Pittenger against.

Goodyear hired Dalton's brother-in-law - former Republican legislator and gubernatorial candidate Chuck Neely - on Aug. 31, a day after Gov. Mike Easley vetoed an early version of the incentives bill. Dalton publicly supported that version. But when it passed the Senate overwhelmingly, he was absent.

- Under one version of the 2004 budget, drugs such as Cialis -- after a four-year absence - reappeared on a list of those eligible for coverage under the state health plan. Dalton, a chief budget writer, said at the time that the suggestion came out of a subcommittee. The measure passed the Senate but never became law.

Dalton's daughter, Elizabeth Dalton, was a lobbyist for Eli Lilly, which manufactured Cialis. Aides say Dalton also has voted against his daughter's clients, such as the N.C. Retail Merchants. And they say he voted for a similar drug provision in an earlier budget, when his daughter was still in college.

- In 2004, Dalton was among a majority of lawmakers who voted for $242 million worth of incentives to computer-maker Dell. Dalton had bought $10,000 worth of Dell shares in 1999. While the stock value rose after the incentives deal, he later sold it at a loss.

Dalton spokeswoman Kimberly Reynolds said the stocks were in a managed account and "daily decisions are made by his financial advisor without input from Sen. Dalton." She said Dalton has long supported measures he believes will create jobs.

Is the ad accurate? The votes are accurate. But the implication that Dalton voted because of family ties or personal benefit is subjective.

- Jim Morrill, The Charlotte Observer

Robert Pittenger loaned his lieutenant gubernatorial campaign $1.2 million this month.

That brings the total the Charlotte Republican and his wife have loaned to $1.7 million. That's almost half the nearly $4.2 million he has raised during his campaign, Jim Morrill reports.

It's unclear how much Pittenger's Democratic opponent, Walter Dalton, has raised. His latest report has yet to be posted on the state board of elections Web site.

Through June, Dalton had raised $1.5 million. He had taken out no loans.

Pittenger has spent $2.5 million on TV ads, according to his report.

Republican candidate for lieutenant governor Robert Pittenger criticizes Democrat Walter Dalton over state spending.

Robert Pittenger is criticizing Walter Dalton's vote to give incentives to Dell.

In a UNC-TV debate Wednesday, Pittenger said Dalton had a "major conflict of interest" in the vote because he owned Dell stock at the time. Dalton said after the debate that he does not manage his own investments and that the stock did not affect his vote.

And he appears to have sold the stock at a loss.

In 2004, Dell was considering building a computer-assembly in the Triad that it said would employ 2,000 people. Lawmakers approved $242 million in incentives over 20 years if Dell were to meet certain benchmarks.

Dalton, a Democrat, voted for the incentives. Pittenger, a Republican, voted against them. They are running for lieutenant governor.

"Probably the biggest concern I have about our differences is that Senator Dalton, he voted for incentives — a $280 million incentive for Dell — at the same time that he owns stock in Dell. And I would say very clearly that's a major conflict of interest," Pittenger said Wednesday.

Dalton said it was still appropriate for him to vote. "The key there was I was voting for jobs for the people of North Carolina," he said.

A campaign spokeswoman said Thursday that, according to a preliminary review of records, Dalton bought about $10,000 worth of Dell stock in November 1999 and sold it for about $4,000 in February 2007.

Dalton has publicly disclosed owning the stock on his state ethics filings since the 1999-2000 election cycle. In his most recent filing, he listed stocks and options in about 25 companies.

State law generally allows legislators to decide for themselves whether a conflict of interest should keep them from voting.

Things at Dell are looking down.

The three candidates for lieutenant governor outlined very different plans at a debate Wednesday.

Democratic state Sen. Walter Dalton said he would raise the compulsory education age to 18, expand access to health care and continue to promote entrepreneurship programs.

Former Republican state Sen. Robert Pittenger said he would pay school teachers based on merit not tenure, reduce medical malpractice litigation and cut the personal income tax rate.

And Libertarian Phillip Rhodes, a first-time candidate, said he would increase competition in schools with a voucher program, end state government's involvement in mental health care and eliminate many government regulations on business.

Dalton and Pittenger said they do not support allowing illegal immigrants at the state's community colleges. Rhodes said they should pay out of state tuition. (N&O)

What would Robert Pittenger do as lieutenant governor?

In 1988, Republican Jim Gardner was elected to gavel sessions led by a Democratic controlled legislature. They responded by stripping away much of the job's power, leading to the rise of Senate president pro tem Marc Basnight.

At a debate tonight on WUNC, Pittenger promised that he would help ensure GOP ideas were discussed in the Senate if he was elected. But with Basnight and Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand holding the parliamentary conch, that could prove tricky.

After the debate, Pittenger told Dome how he would operate.

He said that he would recognize more Republican legislators to speak on the floor, allowing them to make amendments. (Currently, some never get that chance.) To prevent those bills from being voted on, Rand would be forced to rule them out of order.

"Is he going to do that 20 times a day, four days a week?" he asked. "There is going to be a time when the iron-fisted control of the Senate is going to be so obvious. He's not going to have the coordinated effort of a lieutenant governor who's working on his behalf."

Pittenger said as a state senator he'd seen Democratic Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue stop debate to "get her marching orders" directly from Rand.

Three candidates for lieutenant governor will debate tonight.

Democrat Walter Dalton, Republican Robert Pittenger and Libertarian Phillip Rhodes will participate in the debate, which is sponsored by UNC-TV.

The debate will be moderated by Eszter Vajda, co-host of UNC-TV's "Legislative Week in Review." 

It will be broadcast live at 8 p.m.