Steve Forbes, the former GOP presidential candidate and the publisher of Forbes Magazine, will headline the N.C. GOP's Hall of Fame Dinner in Raleigh later this month.

He will join Doug Hoffman, the former conservative congressional candidate from New York, at the dinner to be held November 21st at the North Raleigh Hilton, Rob Christensen reports.

Forbes has a new book out this month called "How Capitalism Will Save Us." He twice ran for president in 1996 and 2000.

It was an unusual scene at the state Republican convention over the weekend, when Timothy Johnson, a candidate for the GOP vice chairmanship, apologized for a past incident.

Johnson acknowledged that in 1996 he had plead guilty to an aggravated assault charge in Ohio involving his wife, reports Rob Christensen.

"Ladies, I apologize," said Johnson, who is Buncombe County GOP chairman. "I made my peace with God. I made my peace with my ex-wife."

Johnson's current wife, Latessa Johnson, gave a speech on his behalf, testifying to his personal character.  In the days before the convention, he also released a statement from his ex-wife, Ofelia Felix-Johnson, endorsing him.

Johnson, a retired Army major, expressed displeasure that a 13-year old incident had been brought up in the blogs. He said one incident should not overshadow what he has done during his entire life. He said he had plead guilty to the charge in an effort to save his earlier marriage.

He defeated the incumbent vice chairman, David Sawyer, promising to broaden the Republican Party’s efforts to reach out to young people, African-Americans and Hispanic voters.

He noted that when the North Carolina Republican Party was formed at a meeting in Raleigh in 1867 there were about 100 whites and about 40 blacks.

"This is my home," he told the convention.