Todd Batchelor, a former finance director for the N.C. Republican Party, plans to run for state House District 41 which until recently was held by Democrat Ty Harrell.

The Republican nominee would likely challenge Democrat Chris Heagerty, who was recently named to the House seat, after Harrell's resignation, Rob Christensen reports.

The Wake County seat is regarded as a swing seat that had been held for years by Republican Russell Capps before Harrell's victory in 2006.

"North Carolinians are hungry for change in leadership in Raleigh," Batchelor said in a statement. "People are sick and tired of politicians that consistently raise their taxes and spend their hard earned money irresponsibly. I will be a solid consistent voice for fiscal conservatism and job creation."

Among other issues, Batchelor supports lifting the cap on charter schools.

He was the 2004 Republican nominee for Congress against Democratic Rep. David Price. He is currently legislative chief of staff for Republican state Rep. David Lewis of Dunn. Lewis pays Batchelor with his own money, and his duties include a range of jobs from assisting with constitutent services to helping with fundraisers, Batchelor said.

Update: Post now accurately states that Batchelor would have to win the nomination to challenge Heagerty. Post now also clarifies that Batchelor is not paid by the state.

WATER HAZARD: Former Gov. Mike Easley's office intervened on behalf of an exclusive golf club that needed millions of gallons of water during a devastating drought. The club had given Easley a free membership worth $50,000. (N&O)

HARRELL REPLACED: Chris Heagarty, a former director of the N.C. Center for Voter Education, will replace Ty Harrell in the state House. Harrell resigned last month to address a campaign finance investigation. When a legislator resigns, his or her party picks the successor. (N&O)

IN THIS CORNER: Lawyer Kenneth Lewis held a public kick-off for his campaign to win the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate on Sunday. Lewis and Secretary of State Elaine Marshall are running for the right to challenge U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, a Winston-Salem Republican next year. (N&O)

HAPPENING TODAY: Burr, who needs to raise his profile to take on his Demoratic challengers, is holding an economic development summit in Durham.

A candidate to replace Rep. Ty Harrell had to withdraw his name because he doesn't live in the district.

The news surprised Terry L. "Doc" Thorne because he used to get an awful lot of campaign literature from Harrell, Jordan Cooke, of the Cary News reports. Thorne was one of nine candidates seeking appointment to the District 41 seat vacated by Harrell who resigned amid a State Board of Elections inquiry into his campaign finance reports. 

Harrell was also living outside his district when he resigned. His wife has sued him for divorce and Harrell was staying with a friend.

Cooke reports that Thorne got the news after he lost his bid to win a seat to the Cary Town Council.

Thorne has never lived in the district. He found that out on Oct. 6, hours before he finished in a distant fourth place in the Town Council race for Cary's District A. Thorne was also a challenger in that contest, one of the Triangle's most hotly contested. He garnered just three percent of the vote among Cary residents in Wake and Chatham counties.

Thorne is now 0-for-5 in his hunt for a political seat.

Jack Nichols has some news for would-be candidates hoping to replace Wake County Rep. Ty Harrell.

It's gonna take work and a lot of money to keep that seat. That's the gist of a message Nichols, the chairman of the Wake County Democratic party, sent to those who are seeking appointment to the seat Harrell quit amid a campaign finance investigation. 

"The campaign for this seat next year will be just as hotly contested and indeed, one of the most contested House races in the State of North Carolina. I mention this because I anticipate that you will need to raise at least $100,000 to $200,000 in order to be competitive in this Primary and General Election. In my experience, before the Party and its donors will invest in a candidate, the candidate must raise money on their own to establish their viability," Nichols wrote.

Nichols advice comes as state Republicans are ramping up efforts to win control of one or both chambers.

More after the jump.

   Comments (2)

At least nine Democratic candidates are already running to replace Rep. Ty Harrell who resigned Sunday amid a campaign finance investigation.

Wake County Democratic Party Chairman Jack Nichols said nine candidates have declared so far for the District 41 seat:

-- Chris Heagarty, former director of the N.C. Center for Voter Education

-- Janet Schanzenbach, lobbyist for mental health programs and rehabilitation facilities

-- Gale Adcock, Cary Town Council member

-- John Shaw, a retired electrical engineer and Democratic Party activist

-- Matt Danielson, former county Democratic Party vice chair

-- Linda Gunter, former state senator and lobbyist for N.C. Association of Educators

-- Christopher Headen, executive director of Meals on Wheels of Durham

-- Steve Rao, director of business development at Datacraft Solutions

-- Terry L. "Doc" Thome

Democratic Party precinct chairs and party leaders within the district will meet by Oct. 20 and vote on Harrell’s replacement. When a lawmaker resigns, his or her party selects the replacement, and the governor must appoint that person.

LOW KEY BIRTHDAY: The Highway Patrol turns 80 this year and it may be a good year for a quiet celebration. Another misconduct allegation involving sex has been exposed and the patrol is not having a lot of success reversing a culture in which some troopers expected on-duty escapades as an unofficial fringe benefit. Patrol leaders asked employees to try to knock it off in honor of the patrol's anniversary.

CONS BEATING PROS: Republicans dug in on their opposition to Democratic health care reforms with U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick saying that a Democrat health care system might not have caught her breast cancer in time. Sen. Richard Burr said the plan would just shift the cost of the health care system to taxpayers. On the other side, Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan isn't ready to pick a reform plan, although she's sure one is needed.

WE'RE SAVED: A television advertisement funded by a conservative group catalogues corruption scandals involving Democrats. The group proclaims that it's here to rescue America from "radical socialism." A 30-second spot will probably just about do it.

IN OTHER NEWS: President Bill Clinton wasn't rattled by Sen. Jesse Helms inflammatory statements. Sen. Joe Lieberman is watering down an energy bill in an effort to get Republicans, including Burr, on board. State Rep. Ty Harrell has resigned his seat over questions about his campaign finance reports.

Rep. Ty Harrell, a Raleigh Democrat who has been under investigation over his campaign expenditures, submitted his resignation Sunday.

Harrell said he needs to focus attention on answering questions about his campaign finances and on his young sons, as he and his wife are in the midst of divorce proceedings.

“The people of District 41, and all citizens of North Carolina, deserve representatives who can make clearly-focused decisions on their behalf,” Harrell wrote in a letter to House Speaker Joe Hackney. “With the recent turbulence in my personal life and continued speculation about my campaign expenditures, I do not feel that I can provide the high standard of representation that my constituents expect and deserve.”

Hackney asked the Legislative Ethics Committee to investigate Harrell’s finances on Sept. 9, after the State Board of Elections began an audit of campaign expenses. Harrell’s campaign expense report for January through June of this year showed an unusual number of expenses for a year with no election. Many of the expenses were to restaurants at a time when Harrell had no source of income other than his nearly $14,000 legislative salary. In an earlier report, he listed paying $235 to a pricey children's clothing store and $191 to Sharon Luggage, with both identified as a "committee meeting."

The descriptions of the expenses often were listed as “donor recruitment,” “strategy meeting” or other explanations that the elections board found insufficient. The elections board’s staff has since asked for more than 200 pieces of additional information on Harrell’s filings, an unusually large request.

With Democratic state Rep. Ty Harrell facing questions about his use of campaign money, his Republican challenger is looking at making another run at him.

Apex Town Councilman Bryan Gossage says he is taking a careful look at challenging Harrell again in 2010, Rob Christensen reports.

"Our message last year was that the liberal tax, borrow, and spend policies of the incumbent were wrong for the district and wrong for the state," Gossage said in a statement. "Unfortunately, higher taxes and unemployment numbers are some of the best proof of that."

Harrell defeated Gossage by a 54-46 percent margin in a strongly Democratic year in 2008. House District 41, which includes parts of Apex and Cary, is regarded as a swing district. Harrell won the district in 2006 by defeating six-term Republican Russell Capps. The Legislative Ethics Committee and State Board of Elections are investigating Harrell's use of campaign funds.

The State Board of Elections has asked Rep. Ty Harrell, a Raleigh Democrat, for more than 200 pieces of information about his campaign expenses, an unusually large request.

Board officials are auditing Harrell's campaign expenses and dispatched a letter to Harrell's treasurer, Joseph Slaton, Thursday asking for details on why, for starters, the campaign account balance was $7,000 higher at the beginning of 2009 than at the end of 2008. Board auditor Joe Patton also asked for details on more than 200 expenses over the past three years that were listed with vague explanations, such as "candidate obligation" and "donor cultivation."

Gary Bartlett, the board's executive director, described the number of items of information requested as unusually large.

Dozens of the expenses in question are at restaurants during a time period when Harrell's only reported source of income was his nearly $14,000 legislative salary. Other curious listings include $235 to a pricey children's clothing store and $191 to Sharon Luggage, with both listed for a "committee meeting." 

Slaton is listed in campaign finance records as a consultant to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. He did not immediately return a call to his work and home numbers.

The Legislative Ethics Committee also is investigating Harrell's campaign finances.