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Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton, former U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge and state Rep. Bill Faison spoke to nearly 200 members of the Young Democrats of North Carolina at their state convention at the Blake Hotel. They did little to differentiate themselves but kept the focus on the likely Republican nominee instead. Read full story here. 

In other news:

--Tens of thousands of North Carolina businesses are putting their employees at risk by failing to buy workers’ compensation insurance, a violation of the law that’s driving some injured workers to destitution and businesses into bankruptcy.

Though the state has the power to crack down on these businesses, it doesn’t act until a worker is hurt and left without a paycheck and with mounting medical bills. The state Industrial Commission rarely enforces penalties, and efforts to collect money for health care can drag on for years. Read the full investigation here.

-In his column, Rob Christensen recounts Charles Brantley Aycock roles in North Carolina politics. Read here. 

The Democratic hopefuls for governor spent yesterday debating education -- though none of them landed a major punch against each other. Republican Pat McCrory took a few jabs, but a N.C. Association of School Administrators forum was largely polite. Read the full article here.

In other May 8 primary news, the constitutional amendment banning gay marriage and civil unions remains largely misunderstood. Heck, 7 percent in a recent Public Policy Polling survey think it legalizes gay marriage. Read more about the confusion and what it means for the referendum here.

And the division is no surprise if you read about a forum on the so-called marriage amendment from Charlotte. Observer reporter Michael Gordon has the story.

In other news, one of the many Republicans running for Congresswoman Sue Myrick's seat left the race, leaving 10 standing. More here.

Pat McCrory touted his private sector experience and tried to reassure a ballroom of commercial real estate developers Wednesday about the economy, saying that "hopefully you've seen the worst and things are starting to come back."

"Right now, North Carolina is going through a very tough time," McCrory said.

McCrory, the presumptive GOP nominee for governor, struck a less definitive tone than Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue, who recently declared "North Carolina is coming out of the recession; you can take it to the bank.”

Two polls put the early governor's race in context. The left-leaning Public Policy Polling took a look at the primary races (read more below on Dome). But the conservative Civitas Institute is looking ahead to November.

In numbers released Friday, Civitas found Republican Pat McCrory holds a clear lead on his lesser known Democratic challengers. The closest contest is McCrory vs. Bob Etheridge, a former congressman and superintendent of education. In a hypothetical matchup, McCrory takes 46 percent compared to 32 percent for Etheridge.

If McCrory faces Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton in an election held today, his margin of victory is greater: 49 percent compared to 30 percent for Dalton. State Rep. Bill Faison of Orange County trails by 21 points, the poll shows.

The Democratic primary for governor may closely resemble a traditional British election - a brief campaign season, relatively austere electioneering budgets, and stingy television advertising. The only thing missing will be tea.

With only 69 days until the May 8 primary, the three major Democratic candidates, Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton of Rutherfordton, former U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge of Lillington, and state Rep. Bill Faison of Orange County, will have little time to get their message before the voters. Read Rob Christensen's analysis of the race here.

For a primer on the best races to watch in 2012 -- an all-important election year in North Carolina -- check out this guide.

And read more about Etheridge releasing his tax returns, forcing a discussion of candidates' financial disclosure in the governor's race.

UPDATED: A new poll finds Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue lost little -- if any -- support in the days after three of her close associates were indicted.

Perdue still trails GOP challenger Pat McCrory by 10 points -- 50 percent to 40 percent -- in a head-to-head match up, according to Public Policy Polling, a Democratic firm. It's only 1 point -- and within the margin of error -- from last month's poll which found McCrory up 48 percent to 39 percent.

Perdue's approval rating stand at 37 percent, which is also in line with the November numbers. Half of the voters polled disapprove.

The poll was conducted Dec. 1-4 with a margin of error of 3.1 percent for the gubernatorial questions, PPP reported.

Other numbers show state Rep. Bill Faison, whose recent remarks suggested he may challenge Perdue, does far worse than the governor against McCrory. He would lose by 21 points if the election were held today, the poll found. Only 7 percent of voters view him favorably compared to 31 percent unfavorable -- striking numbers for a politician who has never campaigned in a statewide race.

"McCrory would defeat pretty much any Democrat in North Carolina next year unless he's significantly cut down to size," pollster Tom Jensen concludes. "Running someone else instead of Perdue is not some magical solution to the Democrats' problems."

McCrory's campaign later added this: "That's pretty glass half full spin coming from the Democrats regarding their poll," spokesman Brian Nick said. "Perhaps Governor Perdue can use these numbers in her next fundraising appeal."

For more poll analysis from PPP, click here.