The billboard industry contributed a total of more than $160,000 to more than 30 legislative and statewide campaigns in North Carolina in the past four years, according to a new study by Democracy North Carolina, a nonpartisan watchdog group.

In that time, the industry has been pushing a bill that would increase the area around billboards where companies can remove trees. The bill passed the Senate in past years, but stalled several times in the House. It recently received approval by a House committee.

"The billboard industry is not one of the 10 biggest spending special-interest groups, like the big banks, utilities, and developers - but it is one of the most persistent," Democracy North Carolina said in a press release.

The contributions came from industry representatives, such as business owners, as well as the industry's political action committee. The PAC contributed $95,750.

"If you are an active organization, then you want to help the people who are good representatives and senators," said Tony Adams, executive director of the N.C. Outdoor Advertising Association, who noted that his organization's contributions are substantially less than other PACs.

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Former state Sen. Cal Cunningham, a potential Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, has received a top U.S. Army award.

Cunningham was one of 28 officers to receive the Gen. Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award from Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey.

Only two other attorneys have been selected for the award. Cunningham served in Iraq as the senior counsel in the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate from December 2007 until November 2008. He oversaw 27 attorneys.

A captain and paratrooper in the Army Reserves, Cunningham received a 15 pound bronze bust of McArthur at a ceremony last month in Washington.

Cunningham, 35, an attorney with Kilpatrick Stockton in Winston-Salem, has been moving around the state, trying to measure interest in his running against Republican Sen. Richard Burr next year.

Other Democrats either considering the race or being courted include Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre of Lumberton, Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton and former state Treasurer Richard Moore.

It's time to refresh the old cup of Senate tea leaves.

The Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in 2010 continues to be completely wide open, though it's increasingly clear that most of the major state officials will pass on it.

Here's the latest conventional wisdom:

THE LAST BIG HOPE: Washington Democrats and national political pundits continue to search for a brand name. U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre is still toying with a run, and Secretary of State Elaine Marshall has lately dipped her toe in the water. A definitive "no" has not come from state Sen. Dan Blue yet.

DARK HORSES: Former state Sen. Cal Cunningham leads the pack of dark horses, though former Obama fundraiser Kenneth Lewis can't be counted out. Marshall's legislative liaison, Robert Wilson, told the Insider he was flirting with the idea, but he never returned Dome's calls and he would not likely run against his boss.

WHO'S NOT RUNNING: U.S. Reps. Heath Shuler, Bob Etheridge and Brad Miller, Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton, Attorney General Roy Cooper, state Sen. Malcolm Graham, state Reps. Grier Martin and Tricia Cotham, Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker, and Elizabeth Edwards have all said no. Of course, so did Kay Hagan in 2008.

In Dome's view, Marshall may actually make a run for it: 1) She's interested, since she ran for Senate in 2002; 2) she wouldn't lose her day job (unlike McIntyre or Blue); and 3) at 63, this is probably her last chance to do it. 

That said, Cunningham has a good biography and seems to be exciting the netroots. 

U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler has shot down a Senate bid again.

Speaking at a groundbreaking in Asheville, the Waynesville Democrat said he would not run against U.S. Sen. Richard Burr in 2010, according to the Hendersonville Times-News:

"I am not running for Senate," the second-term Democrat said after a ground-breaking ceremony for a new building at the Bent Creek Experimental Forest Station in Asheville. "I am not running for Senate. I am not running for Senate. I have said that a thousand times, and I don't know why they keep coming up (with the idea). Of course they keep coming up and running polls."

Shuler previously pondered — then rejected — a run for Senate, but some Democrats had floated his name again after Attorney General Roy Cooper declined to run. 

Others who have said no to a run on the Democratic side: U.S. Reps. Bob Etheridge and Brad Miller, Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton, state Sen. Malcolm Graham, state Reps. Tricia Cotham and Grier Martin and Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker.

Secretary of State Elaine Marshall's name has not been on any Democratic U.S. Senate lists, but maybe she should be.

Marshall said running against Republican Sen. Richard Burr next year is something she might consider, although she is not actively testing the waters  now.

"It's on my radar screen," Marshall said. "I have not excluded myself from that. Right now we have a world of hurt down at the General Assembly."

Marshall, a 63-year old Lillington attorney and former state senator, became the first woman, to win a state-wide executive office in 1996, when she defeated NASCAR legend Richard Petty. She has been easily re-elected since then.

But her one effort to move up fell far short, when she finished third in the 2002 Senate primary behind Erskine Bowles, now the University of North Carolina president, and former House Speaker Dan Blue, now a state senator.

Bowles won 43 percent, Blue 29 percent and Marshall 15 percent.

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Scratch another name off the Democratic list.

State Sen. Malcolm Graham of Charlotte shot down rumors this morning that he was considering a run for U.S. Senate in 2010.

"No way," he said.

He had previously told the Fayetteville Observer he was taking "a casual look" at running against U.S. Sen. Richard Burr.

Others who have said no to a run on the Democratic side: U.S. Reps. Bob Etheridge and Brad Miller, Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton, Attorney General Roy Cooper, state Reps. Tricia Cotham and Grier Martin and Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker.

U.S. Sen. Richard Burr had $1.6 million in cash at the end of March.

The Winston-Salem Republican raised $702,600 during the first quarter of this year and spent only $110,712, according to campaign finance reports.

Here's how some of his potential competitors stack up:

Rep. Heath Shuler: $1.1 million

Rep. Bob Etheridge: $772,489

Rep. Mike McIntyre: $633,090

State Sen. Malcolm Graham: $46,841

State Sen. Dan Blue: $44,824

Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton: $32,305

Cal Cunningham: $8,567*

Kenneth Lewis: n/a

* Campaign account closed in 2007.

Note: As Dome regular lefaim notes below, only the three members of Congress could transfer their cash on hand to a Senate race.

North Carolina Democrats hope that Andrew Whalen can do in the flatlands what he did in the mountains.

Whalen has been named executive of the state Democratic Party and will lead the party as it goes after Republican Sen. Richard Burr's seat next year, Rob Christensen reports.

Whalen, 28, managed the last two campaigns of Democrat Health Shuler who captured the mountain congressional seat in 2006 from Republican incumbent Charles Taylor and then held on to the seat last fall against Ashevillle City Councilman Carl Mumpower. Most recently he was Whalen's Senate communications director.

He replaces Caroline Valand, who is now chief of staff for Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton.

David Young, the state party chairman from Asheville, hired Whalen after watching him up close.

Shuler is one of several people being courted by the national Democratic Party to challenge Burr next year.

Before working for Shuler, Whalen managed two state House races in Virginia.

Also hired was C. Payne Lucas Jr., who will be director of party affairs and development. He will focus on organizing and training. He worked last year for the election of Barack Obama, working as Franklin County Field director for the Campaign for Change in 2008.

He worked the previous 13 years in business and job recruitment.

U.S. Sen. Richard Burr leads seven potential contenders.

In a survey by Democratic firm Public Policy Polling, the Winston-Salem Republican had an advantage over seven Democrats when given only name, party and sometimes title.

In order from Burr's biggest to smallest leads:

Burr (48) Walter Dalton (29) Undecided (22)
Burr (44) Heath Shuler (28) Undecided (28)
Burr (47) Bob Etheridge (31) Undecided (22)
Burr (47) Richard Moore (34) Undecided (19)
Burr (44) Dan Blue (33) Undecided (23)
Burr (46) Elizabeth Edwards (35) Undecided (19)

The firm also tested former state Sen. Cal Cunningham, giving a two-sentence glowing description about his time in Iraq and as a former state senator:

Burr (42) Cunningham (34) Undecided (24)

"Although it's taking Democrats a while to get a candidate, Burr's standing is still tenuous, and getting someone with a lot of name recognition isn't necessarily that important to winning next year," said pollster Dean Debnam.

The firm did not test Durham attorney Kenneth Lewis, who has said he may run.

Miss USA is coming to the legislature.

House Speaker Joe Hackney announced this afternoon that Miss USA 2009 Kristen Dalton will visit the legislature on Tuesday.

Dalton — no relation to Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton, as far as he's aware — won the crown after becoming Miss North Carolina USA at a 2008 pageant in High Point.

She's not drawn as much attention as a runner-up, Miss California Carrie Prejean, who stated during a question-and-answer session that she opposed same-sex marriage.

Dalton is from Wilmington.