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Charles Malone, a 62-year old state employee active in Democratic politics, has announced that his plans to challenge Republican state Sen. Neal Hunt of Raleigh.

Malone, who has been campaigning for months, said he will stress kitchen-table issues, such as reducing unemployment, small business failures, bankruptcies, and home foreclosures, Rob Christensen reports. 

He said he would work across party lines. “We need a person who will bring a new perspective to the N.C. Senate by putting people before political party loyalty,” Malone said.

Malone is the equal opportunity director in the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. He has worked in several businesses and campaigns. Although regarded as a swing district, Senate district 15, which includes parts of North Raleigh and Wake Forest, has long been in Republican hands.

Neal, a real estate manager and former Raleigh City council member, has represented the district since 2004, when he defeated Republican incumbent John Carrington in a primary.

Todd Batchelor has been rounding up some early endorsements in an effort to head off any possible GOP primary opposition in his bid to win state House District 41.

Batchelor, a former finance chairman for the state Republican party, has picked up the backing of former state GOP chair Linda Daves, former vice chairman David Sawyer, state Sen. Neal Hunt, Apex Town Council member Gene Schulze and former Wake County Commissioner Phil Jeffreys, reports Rob Christensen.

Batchelor is running for what is expected to be one one of the most fiercely contested districts in the state, a Wake County district that includes parts of Cary, Morrisville and Raleigh. The area had been represented for years by Republican Russell Capps until he was upset by Democrat Ty Harrell in 2006. Harrell resigned in September in the middle of an ethics investigation and was replaced by Democrat Chris Heagarty.

Because of the possibility of a GOP win, a number of Republicans are looking at the race including Tom Murry, a Morrisville Town Council member.

Sens. Julia Boseman and R.C. Soles Jr. spent the most of any competitive legislative candidate to win their seats.

Boseman, a Wilmington Democrat, spent $871,500 in her race and Soles, a Columbus County Democrat, spent $839,500, according to an analysis of campaign spending by the Program on Public Life at UNC-Chapel Hill.

The list of top spenders did not include candidates who ran unopposed and therefore excludes spending by Senate Leader Marc Basnight, $1.3 million, or House Speaker Joe Hackney, $744,000.

The top spenders in the House were Randy Stewart, a Nash County Democrat ($382,000) and House Majority Leader Hugh Holliman, a Lexington Democrat ($354,000).

Democrats control the House and Senate and have powerful fundraising machines in place. On the Republican side in the House, top spenders were Rep. David Lewis, a Dunn Republican ($232,000) and House Republican Leader Paul Stam, an Apex Republican ($196,000).

Among Senate Republicans, top campaign spenders were Sen. Neal Hunt, a Wake County Republican ($813,000) and Richard Gunn, an Alamance County Republican, who spent $386,000, but lost the race to Sen. Tony Foriest, a Democrat.

Recent Senate bills of note:

S.B. 461: North Carolina Racial Justice Act, Sen. Floyd McKissick

S.B. 478: Modify School Calendar Law, Sen. Don East

S.B. 491: Expunge Nonviolent Crimes, Sen. Ellie Kinnaird

S.B. 500: Raise Homestead Exclusion Income Limit, Sen. Austin Allran

S.B. 515: Prohibit Penning of Wildlife, Sen. Neal Hunt

S.B. 520: NC to Consider Off Shore Drilling, Sen. James Forrester

S.B. 525: Video Game Producer Tax Credit, Sen. Julia Boseman

A few recent Senate bills of note:

S.B. 131: Penalty for DWI Conviction/BAC .20 or Higher, Sen. Don Vaughan

S.B. 137: Military Death / In-State Tuition / Dependant, Sen. Neal Hunt

S.B. 138: Salvia Divinorum Schedule I, Sen. Bill Purcell

S.B. 147: Tax Credit for Energy-Efficient Homes, Sen. A.B. Swindell

S.B. 155: Community Colleges Can't Admin Illegal Aliens, Sen. Phil Berger

S.B. 157: Eminent Domain, Sen. Phil Berger

* Washington political predictor Stuart Rothenberg ranks U.S. Sen. Richard Burr's 2010 re-election race as "narrow advantage for incumbent party."

* Health care consultant Adam Searing suggests one way legislators could cut costs at the State Health Plan: Remove themselves from it's coverage.

* President Obama says he wants to modify "Buy American" provisions in the stimulus bill, presumably including one by freshman Democratic Rep. Larry Kissell.

* State Sen. Neal Hunt takes another run at the windmill with a bill that would call for at-large elections of several seats on the Wake County school board.

"Which Republicans voted for the Democratic leadership in the legislature?" — Caller

Members of the state House of Representatives and Senate select their own leaders on the first day of session.

The majority, which is Democratic in both chambers this year, typically votes for one of its own, while the Republican minority puts forward its own candidate.

Still, legislators can cross over to vote for the other side.

This year, Republican Sens. Fletcher Hartsell of Concord and Richard Stevens of Cary both voted for Democratic Sen. Marc Basnight as president pro tem on the first roll call.

Before the votes were totaled, however, Republican Minority Leader Phil Berger, who was also running, moved to elect Basnight by acclamation — essentially a unanimous voice vote.

This next part is a little tricky. In order to prevent anyone from calling another vote in the future and toppling Basnight, his chief lieutenant, Sen. Tony Rand, asked for yet another vote, known as a "clincher."

Twelve of the 20 Senate Republicans voted for Basnight on that vote: Sens. Austin Allran, Stan Bingham, Harris Blake, Debbie Clary, Don East, James Forrester, Hartsell, Neal Hunt, David Rouzer, Bob Rucho, Stevens, and Jerry Tillman.

In the House no Republicans voted for Speaker Joe Hackney, a Democrat. House Republicans voted for the minority leader, Rep. Paul Stam.

Sen. Neal Hunt
Raleigh Republican
Third Term

What two things would you cut in the state budget? "I would reduce the number of mandates in Medicaid." He said drug-treatment programs such as methadone for heroin addicts do not need to be picked up by the state. He also said that he would redo the transportation equity formula so that urban areas have more state tranpsortation money.

Are there any taxes you would be in favor of increasing? "No."

— Dan Kane 

The robocalls are coming fast and furious now.

After the jump, a list of recent automated phone calls to North Carolinians based on reader submissions.

As always, send your reports of robocalls to dome@newsobserver.com

Here's a mostly complete list of John McCain's surrogates in North Carolina for the general election:

Vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, wife Cindy, son Doug, U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, former Sen. Bob Dole, former Louisiana Gov. Buddy Roemer, former House Majority Leader Dick Armey, former Arkansas Rep. Asa Hutchinson, Republican National Committee deputy chairman Frank Donatelli; Republican Party chairwoman Linda Daves, former N.C. Republican Party chairman Ferrell Blount, state Sen. Neal Hunt, House Minority Leader Paul Stam, state Reps. Ric Killian, Nelson Dollar and Harold Brubaker, Dr. Jeanne and David Smoot, country music singer Cowboy Troy, Nascar team owners Jack Roush and Joe Gibbs, former Nascar driver Richard Petty and former prisoner of war Col. J. Quincy Collins Jr.