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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 is red-carpet political fundraising has attracted its fair share of GOP stars: Chris Christie, Bobby Jindal, Steve Forbes and Nikki Haley.

But his campaign's April 30 check-gathering at the Angus Barn will likely top those events thanks to headliner Jeb Bush. The hosts for the event -- announced Thursday by his campaign -- include former Denmark Ambassador Jim Cain, appointed by President George W. Bush; Golden Corral executive Ted Fowler; Republican uber-fundraiser Kieran Shanahan; and businesswoman Judi Grainger.

Bush, the former Florida Republican governor, is widely considered as a future presidential candidate and known for his dedication to education policy. And it's worth noting he's in town next month as part of an education summit with former Democratic N.C. Gov. Jim Hunt.

The event will help McCrory boost his financial advantage over the Democratic candidates who will spend the next six weeks squeezing blood from a turnip and spend much of it to get the party's nomination.

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.

Democratic Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton suggested Tuesday that he wouldn't release his tax returns, even though his political party is asking Republican Pat McCrory to do so.

After the official launch of his gubernatorial campaign, Dalton said McCrory's situation is different. "There has been some question ... about whether he is a lobbyist or not," he said. "I don't know of any questions" about my record.

At the same time, Dalton left the door open to reassess the situation. "We'll look at that as it goes along," he said.

North Carolina's governor's race consistently ranked as one of the most competitive in the nation for the past year. And despite Gov. Bev Perdue's departure, The Washington Post says it remains the one most likely to switch parties this election year.

"From the primary to the general election, it all translates to a contest that was and will continue to be the marquee governor’s race of November, perhaps even more so after Perdue’s exit," writes the Post's Aaron Blake. 

Read the full analysis at the newspaper's political blog here.