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Republican Pat McCrory continued his moderate transformation during Wednesday's debate, shedding his tea party and conservative cape as he said legislation restricting abortions and cracking down on illegal immigration won't appear on his agenda if elected. At the same time, Democrat Walter Dalton made a bold pledge to lower the employment rate as much as 3 percent in his first year. Pundits say the debate isn't the game changer Dalton needed. Read more here and see four fact checks from the debate.

More political headlines:

--In a new development that raises questions about Debra Goldman's judgment, another police report surfaced showing that the GOP state auditor candidate called 911 after a fellow board member yelled at her during a heated Wake school board meeting.

The Republican and Democratic parties are paying particular attention this year to one down ballot race: N.C. Supreme Court. Although judicial elections are officially nonpartisan, there are strong partisan stakes in the outcome of this race. In the balance is the current 4-3 split on the state Supreme Court that currently tips conservative. Incumbent Paul Newby is a registered Republican and challenger Sam "Jimmy" Ervin IV, an appeals court judge, is a Democrat.

The importance of the race is why outside interests have started raising money for their candidate – in this case, Newby – to bolster the limited funds candidates can raise. Both candidates received $240,100 in public financing; Newby has raised about $94,000 from individuals and Ervin about $85,000, in the first half of this year. Read more about the race here.

More political headlines:

--After a week of moves to the middle on taxes, health care and abortion, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney returned to the South on Thursday to reassure conservatives and evangelical Christians that he’s a would-be president they can trust. Romney began his Tar Heel trip – his fifth visit to the state this year – by making a pilgrimage to Montreat to meet and pray with 93-year-old evangelist Billy Graham.

A super PAC supporting MItt Romney debuts a new TV commercial in North Carolina today as part of a $10.5 million buy in 11 swing states.

Restore Our Future announced its new ad will hit President Barack Obama on a familiar refrain, the economy, and his "shameful" attacks on Romney.

It's not clear where this ad is appearing in North Carolina, or how much money is being spent.

Mitt Romney's campaign is responding quickly to the controversy involving a pro-Obama super PAC's false TV ad.

Romney debuted a new 30-second spot in North Carolina and elsewhere Friday to called "America Deserves Better" to highlight a competing ad aired by Priorities USA Action that suggests Bain Capital under Mitt Romney is partially to blame for the death of a steel mill worker's wife after the company closed a plant.

A super PAC supporting Mitt Romney is preparing to blast North Carolina TV's with the latest salvo in the presidential race.

The Restore Our Future ad -- according to Politico -- slaps President Barack Obama for saying the private sector is "doing fine" and echoes an ad run by the Romney campaign. (Take an early peak below.) The total national ad buy is $6 million with the ad airing in Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada and Virginia, Politico reported.

A new Elon poll found 63 percent of North Carolinians support tougher regulations on super PACs and an equal proportion favor the so-called "Buffett rule."

The poll of all North Carolina residents -- not likely voters -- shows a split on President Barack Obama's favorability: 49 percent support and 42 percent oppose of his job performance. Presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney's numbers are 28 percent favorable and 43 percent unfavorable with the remainder undecided.

The numbers don't translate evenly to the November election because not all residents vote. The poll's margin of error is plus-or-minus 3.87 percentage points. Click the link below for full results.

One of the most passionately fought campaigns of this year’s primary season is the slugfest between former federal prosecutor George Holding and Wake County Commissioner Paul Coble, who are vying for a seat in Congress.

The race has produced North Carolina's first super PAC. It ranks No. 9 as the most active super PAC playing in a congressional race in the nation. And like other super PACs in this new world, how The American Foundations Committee is permitted to operate is somewhat controversial and sometimes unclear. Click here to read more, see a list of donors and get a primer on super PAC rules.

To get your political fill, here are more big headlines from this weekend:

--Newt Gingrich tries to keep GOP race alive. In stumping across the state, Gingrich mainly ignored Romney, but stepped up his criticism of Obama, describing him as "a Chicago-machine politician dedicated to Saul Alinsky’s radicalism." Here's a dispatch from his statewide tour, including stops at a tea party rally in Greensboro and Raleigh. He also visited the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte.