Beverly Perdue received $9.9 million in donations by the end of June of 2008.

The Democratic gubernatorial nominee raised $2.3 million from donors in the second quarter of 2008, according to a report filed with the State Board of Elections.

Major donors included Belk stores president Tom Belk; Erskine Bowles' wife Crandall; her sons, Emmett and Garrett; Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand; Duke Energy CEO Jim Rogers; retiree Wallace Hyde; attorney David Kirby; SAS executive John Sall; and Bill Graham's law partner, Mona Lisa Wallace.

She also raised $223,436 from political action committees, including the Association for Home & Hospice Care of N.C., Blue Cross and Blue Shield's Employee PAC, the Corning Inc. Employee PAC, the Democratic Governors Association of N.C., the Teamsters' DRIVE PAC, the International Paper PAC, the McGuire Woods PAC, the N.C. Academy of Trial Lawyers PAC and the N.C. Home Builders Association.

In addition, she loaned her campaign $130,000 on April 25. In addition to a first quarter loan of $500,000 and outstanding debt of $275,000 to her husband from a previous election, her campaign owes $905,000.

She had cash on hand of $1.4 million at the end of the second quarter.

Correction: An earlier version misstated the cash on hand.

Mary Fant Donnan has picked up more endorsements.

The candidate for the Democratic nomination for state labor commissioner was endorsed last week by the N.C. Academy of Trial Lawyers, the Durham Committee for the Affairs of Black People and the N.C. Association of Educators.

"I'm honored to have received the endorsement of all of these organizations," she said in a statement. "I think this shows that people know we need to move the Labor Department in a new direction and feel I'm the best qualified candidate to do that."

Previously, Donnan was endorsed by the AFL-CIO, former Labor Commissioner Harry Payne and two former Democratic opponents.

She faces former Labor Commissioner John C. Brooks in a primary runoff on June 24. 

They are no longer mere trial lawyers. They are now "advocates for justice."

No, we're not talking about the latest summer superhero flick.

The N.C. Academy of Trial Lawyers announced today that they are changing their name. From now on, they will be known as the "N.C. Advocates for Justice."

The group approved the name change at their annual convention this weekend.

"N.C. Advocates for Justice better reflects exactly what we do on a day-to-day basis," said Joe Cheshire, president of the organization. "It does a better job of articulating what this organization is all about - fighting for justice and protecting people's rights."

We wonder if they're going to start wearing capes, too.

The N.C. Academy of Trial Lawyers endorsed Beth Wood.

The group's political action committee announced this week that it was backing Wood, a former employee of the state auditor's office, in her run for the Democratic nomination for auditor.

"Her experience in the State Auditor's office, coupled with her background as a CPA, make her the strongest choice for the job," said Todd Barlow, political affairs counsel for the group, in a statement.

The N.C. Academy of Trial Lawyers has announced its support of five judicial candidates and three Council of State candidates.

The Academy endorsed Janet Cowell for state Treasurer and Secretary of State Elaine Marshall and Insurance Commissioner Jim Long received its endorsement for re-election.

The group also will back Court of Appeals incumbents Chief Judge John Martin, Judge Jim Wynn, and Judge Linda Stephens, as well as Supreme Court challenger Suzanne Reynolds and Court of Appeals challenger Wake County District Court Judge Kristin Ruth.

Previously, the group endorsed Beverly Perdue for governor.

Academy Chief Executive Officer Dick Taylor said the Academy will consider more endorsements as the campaign season continues.

Endorsements helped in 1998.

Following up on our recent posts on the value of endorsements, Dome's colleagues pointed us to the 1998 Democratic primary.

That year, endorsements helped then-unknown attorney John Edwards win a seven-person race.

In that race, Edwards was endorsed by the AFL-CIO, the N.C. Association of Educators, the N.C. Academy of Trial Lawyers, the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People and the Raleigh-Wake Citizens Association, among others.

The endorsements from black groups were notable, since there were two African-American candidates in the primary as well.

Of course, as Rob Christensen pointed out in a May 11, 1998, column, it also helped that Edwards spent $3.2 million of his own money on his campaign, including extensive television ads.

Endorsements didn't help in 2000.

The last time that there was an open race for governor, Lt. Gov. Dennis Wicker squared off against Attorney General Mike Easley in the Democratic primary.

In that race, Wicker was endorsed by the N.C. Association of Educators and the N.C. Academy of Trial Lawyers as well as major black political groups: the Raleigh-Wake Citizens Association, the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People and the Simkins PAC in Greensboro.

(The Sierra Club endorsed both Easley and Wicker.)

According to a May 24, 2000, article in the News & Record, Easley won over many black voters with an intensive campaign that included poll workers in T-shirts that promised cheaper prescriptions and smaller schools and radio ads and mailers featuring Harvey Gantt.

Easley's campaign manager was Jay Reiff, who is now working for Richard Moore.

The N.C. Academy of Trial Lawyers has endorsed Beverly Perdue.

The association's political action committee announced today that it will back the lieutenant governor's bid for the Governor's Mansion.

"We have worked with her as a member of the House and later as both a member and leader of the Senate," Chief Executive Officer Dick Taylor said in a statement. "We've found her to be strongly supportive of protecting people's rights and assuring justice for the people of North Carolina."

The group said it also considered state Treasurer Richard Moore, Perdue's Democratic rival.

"We have strong respect for both candidates, but after careful consideration we decided Beverly Perdue is the best choice to lead North Carolina," Taylor said.

The press release did not mention the Republican candidates.

Raleigh criminal defense attorney Joseph B. Cheshire V is taking on another big role.

Cheshire, who's been in the headlines in recent months for leading the defense effort in the Duke lacrosse case, is the new president of the N.C. Academy of Trial Lawyers.

Cheshire says he wants to promote unity within the group's diverse membership, which includes criminal defense attorneys, lawyers who represent injured workers and those who handle medical malpractice claims.

"Whatever we do, we will do as family," Cheshire said in a statement.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Brad Miller has stepped up his exploratory effort in recent days as he nears a self-imposed deadline of July 1 to decide whether to take on Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole in 2008.

Miller, a Raleigh attorney, met over the weekend with members of the N.C. Academy of Trial Lawyers — some of Miller’s key financial backers — at their annual conference in Sunset Beach, Rob Christensen reports. Last week, Miller and his wife, Esther Hall, met with New York Sen. Charles Schumer, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

"It's a hard decision," Miller said. "I do like this job."

Mark Stephens, Dole’s consultant, said the campaign would not comment on prospective candidates.