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If you needed further proof that the Democratic National Convention was a nonstop party, here it is. The 362 political fundraisers held in Charlotte during those four days drove the city to the No. 2 spot on the Sunlight Foundation's annual ranking of political fundraising cities.
The Tuesday and Wednesday of convention week turned out to be the busiest fundraising days of the entire year, according to the foundation, with 249 political parties between them.
Democrat Linda Coleman refuses to concede the lieutenant governor's race and sent a cryptic email to supporters just after midnight Wednesday that suggested she is priming for a recount. The subject line: "Urgent, Too Close to Call."
Republican Dan Forest has claimed victory and the race could fall outside the range for a recount.
Outside spending this campaign season on state races is nearly $14 million, according to the latest numbers.
The governor's race and N.C. Supreme Court races are attracting the most attention, with about 90 percent of the money influencing voters in those two races, according the Institute for Southern Studies, which is tracking the spending.
Inside the cash reports for Pat McCrory and Walter Dalton, the extent of the Republican's money advantage is readily apparent. A breakdown of the numbers:
McCrory raised most his money this campaign cycle from Mecklenburg County -- $2 million, more than double any other county. He also raised more than $730,000 from out-of-state donors, a total that exceeded his haul from most North Carolina counties combined.
It came in bunches with more than $1 million generated in just one three day period at the end of September.
North Carolina’s two candidates for governor began the final week of the campaign a study in contrasts.
Democratic Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton, the state’s lieutenant governor, was on the attack and raising money, hoping a final surge would allow him to close what the polls suggest is a wide gap with his GOP opponent. Meanwhile, a buoyant Republican Pat McCrory, the former Charlotte mayor, hit a diner and a local GOP headquarters and warned his supporters against overconfidence. Full story here.
More political headlines:
--Gov. Bev Perdue is sitting on $1.2 million as Democrat Walter Dalton faces a 6-to-1 cash deficit to Republican Pat McCrory
Democratic candidate Walter Dalton raised $1.4 million in the third quarter, far less than his Republican rival's $5 million.
He started the general election with $714,000 in the bank after a primary race depleted his coffers. All together, Dalton's total receipts this election cycle -- $3.9 million -- don't even match Pat McCrory's final three and a half months. McCrory's total this election: $11.6 million.
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.
As the end of the year approaches, so too does the end of the six-month fundraising term -- which means one final dash for Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue and GOP challenger Pat McCrory to raise cash.
The next financial report is arguably the most important going forward -- showing whether McCrory can close Perdue's fundraising advantage and indicating if Perdue can weather of a storm of indictments surrounding her campaign and defecting donors.
One storyline is becoming more clear: expect a big showing from McCrory, the former mayor of Charlotte who lost to Perdue in 2008. He held a fundraiser in Greensboro on Monday featuring New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, an all-star in GOP political circles. The total haul: $275,000.
Expect a similar bounty from a fundraiser next week in Charlotte with Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal. Tickets cost between $1,000 and $4,000 to attend.
The big-name governors are an indication that the national party is getting behind McCrory, who has consistently been leading Perdue in the polls.
