The races for open seats for lieutenant governor and state treasurer could be close contests, according to the latest results from Public Policy Polling.

But while most incumbents for Council of State offices enjoy "solid leads" in the latest survey, State Auditor Les Merritt, a Republican, trails Democratic challenger Beth Wood.

PPP surveyed 616 likely voters on May 8-9. The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points.

The full results in the various Council of State races after the jump:

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It's not hard figuring out where Joe Johnson went to high school.

The campaign web site for the Republican candidate for state schools superintendent points out that he graduated from East Henderson High School, Keung Hui reports.

But when it comes to his higher education credentials, it only says he got a bachelor's degree in business administration.

When asked, Johnson said he got his degree from California Coast University which happens to be an online school.

As for his GOP opponents, Eric H. Smith briefly attended Forsyth Technical Community College before going to two different flight schools to get his pilot's license, while Richard Morgan graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill.

Two more last-minute filings came in this morning.

Former House Speaker Richard Morgan filed as a Republican candidate for superintendent of public instruction, and former Raleigh City Councilman John Odom has filed as a Republican candidate for insurance commissioner.

Morgan faces Tryon resident Joe Johnson in the Republican primary and either Superintendent June Atkinson or N.C. Association of Educators president Eddie Davis; Odom faces assistant insurance commissioner Wayne Goodwin in the general election.

Morgan's wife, Cindy, is running for state senator.

State Democrats are holding their cards close.

Asked for the Senate races they are most interested in, the North Carolina Democratic Party declined to put Dome in touch with its experts.

Spokeswoman Kerra Bolton wrote that the "biggest surprise" is District 22, where Moore County Commissioner Cindy Morgan is running as a Republican. In the primary, she faces Sen. Harris Blake, a commercial real estate agent from Pinehurst now in his third term.

Her husband, Richard Morgan, a Republican, was considered a turncoat by many in the GOP for a 2002 deal that made him co-speaker with Jim Black.

She said the party also expects the race for state Sen. Walter Dalton's seat in District 46 will "prove to be the most competitive."

"There may be opportunities out there to pick up seats," she writes. "But as a matter of strategy, I will not illuminate what those are."

Former state House co-speaker Richard Morgan is not the only candidate to show an above-market interest rate for loans he made to his campaign.

Election reports show that former state Rep. Wayne Goodwin, a Richmond County Democrat who unsuccessfully ran for labor commissioner in 2004, loaned his campaign roughly $45,000 at a 10 percent interest rate, reports Dan Kane. Goodwin's wife, Democratic Rep. Melanie Goodwin, also loaned roughly $22,000 to the campaign at the same rate.

But unlike Morgan, Wayne Goodwin said he and his wife never intended to collect the interest on the loans, which remain outstanding.

"I will not be taking any interest," Goodwin said. "That was just filling out a blank (on the campaign report)."

Subsequent election reports show that Goodwin has made partial reimbursements to himself for the loan of $2,750, all of which were deducted from the principal. He expects that he and his wife will likely not be reimbursed for the full amount of their loans.

"I would think most people who make loans to their campaigns probably never pay it back," said Goodwin, now an assistant insurance commissioner for the state. "They write it off, and I think that's ultimately what will happen with me."

Read more after the jump.

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Jim Black has gone missing.

The disgraced former House speaker's portrait is no longer hanging on the wall in the 1300 Court of the General Assembly.

When Dome last checked, the picture had been between former speakers Harold Brubaker and Richard Morgan, on the bottom row.

The portrait gallery features every speaker since 1963.

(Apologies for the quality of the photo, but it was taken on my Treo.)

Update: House Speaker Joe Hackney's spokesman says the photo was taken down by housekeeping to change the dates listed on the matte. The photos of Marc Basnight and Beverly Perdue have also been taken down.

The state Board of Elections wants more information about loans former House Speaker Richard Morgan made to his campaign.

Gary Bartlett, director of the state Board of Elections, said his office has contacted Morgan.

"We should hear from him by Monday," Bartlett said.

Morgan could be fined if he doesn't provide the information, officials said.

The N&O's Dan Kane reported last week that since 1990 Morgan collected $109,000 in interest by charging his campaign above-market interest rates for loans he made to it.

Also, Morgan and N&O Executive Editor John Drescher trade barbs over the story.

Former House Speaker Richard Morgan took $465,000 in campaign money for personal use over the course of his legislative career, records show.

According to his latest campaign finance report, Morgan received more than $365,000 from campaign money raised from contributors when he was in office.

A review of reports back to 1990 shows he also collected $109,000 in interest by charging his campaign above-market interest rates for loans he made to it. 

State officials say none of Morgan's actions with his campaign money were not illegal at the time. But campaign finance watchdog Joe Sinsheimer said it was unethical.

"It's just greed," he said. "There's no other way to describe it." (N&O) 

Michael Weisel is considering running for treasurer next year.

The Raleigh attorney, who ran for state treasurer a decade ago, Weisel, 49, said he is talking with past supporters and family members about seeking the Democratic nomination for the seat now held by Treasurer Richard Moore, Rob Christensen reports.

Moore is running for the Democratic nomination for governor.

In 1996, Weisel mounted an unsuccessful challenge in the Democratic primary against long-time State Treasurer Harlan Boyles. Weisel had entered the race after Boyles had announced his retirement, only to see Boyles change his mind and run.

Weisel has a background in finance, having worked as an executive and porfolio mananger for Kemper Financial Services and Wells Fargo Bank among others.

He is also well known in Democratic circles having served as Wake County Democratic chairman. Last year, Weisel worked as a legislative counsel to House Speaker Pro Tem Richard Morgan, a Moore County Republican. He also handled an election complaint brought by Morgan by former state Rep. Art Pope, who was involved in a political committee that financed ads that helped defeat Morgan.