UPDATED: The State Employees Association of North Carolina is prepared to spend more than $1.8 million to help get Linda Coleman the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor, even though she faces a highly touted primary candidate.
The organization launched its first radio advertisement Wednesday touting Coleman, the state's personnel director and a former state lawmaker, as "a champion for working people." It debuts as candidates are still considering whether to run for the state's No. 2 post -- a campaign that could get overshadowed by a Democratic governor's race on the May primary ballot.
The one-minute ad is airing on most radio stations in the Fayetteville area, said Dana Cope, the SEANC executive director. With a $13,000 price tag, the group is hoping to saturate the hometown of state Sen. Eric Mansfield, who announced his candidacy Tuesday for lieutenant governor.
