Tag search result

From AP: Outgoing Democratic Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton has a new job, although not the one he had hoped in November to land come January.

Dalton said Thursday he would teach a class on Southern politics starting next week at Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, not far from his hometown of Rutherfordton. The attorney also said he would serve as special counsel for now to school president Frank Bonner.

Dalton was a state senator for 12 years before getting elected lieutenant governor in 2008. Dalton's successor – Republican Dan Forest – gets sworn in on Monday.

In the wake of Democrat Walter Dalton's double-digit loss in the governor's race comes this question: Could he have done anything different to win?

Dome put the question to a few Democratic consultants and political observers. They offer interesting takes on why Dalton never caught fire but mention one recurring theme: he didn't distance himself from the current administration strongly enough. Read below.

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.

Charlotte Observer's editorial cartoonist Kevin Siers watched the final gubernatorial debate it appears.

He pokes at Democrat Walter Dalton for his shifting his positions on a sales tax hike for education.

But for Dalton's sake, at least Siers found him interesting enough to draw a face this time.

The News & Observer's editorial board endorsed Democrat Walter Dalton for governor in today's newspaper. It's a reversal from four years ago when the newspaper's opinion writers picked Republican Pat McCrory.

"Of these two candidates for the governorship, we think Dalton has more of what it takes to lead North Carolina in the right direction, toward more opportunity and prosperity for all of its people," the board wrote.

The Republican Governors Association is airing a TV ad in North Carolina that attacks Walter Dalton for his one-time support for a sales tax hike -- the third such commercial from the group on the issue.

The 30-second spot starts with a clip of the Democratic candidate for governor criticizing Pat McCrory's tax plan, saying it could lead to higher sales taxes. And then hits Dalton for previously supporting a three-quarter of a penny sales tax for schools pitched by Gov. Bev Perdue earlier this year.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Walter Dalton Tuesday said he will push for paid family leave for teachers and state employees if he is elected. His proposal would allow new parents paid maternity and paternity leave for up to four weeks without losing their state jobs. Currently, the state offers no paid leave for new parents.

“So many of North Carolina's teachers and state workers are part of working families and they deserve a fair deal,” Dalton, the state's lieutenant governor said in a statement.

UPDATED: One question caught the candidates for governor off guard at the first statewide televised debate: "Can each of you tell me the approximate tax rate you paid last year?" asked Dave Wagner, an anchor at WCNC-TV in Charlotte.

The subject is ripe given the talk about how Republican Pat McCrory won't release his personal tax returns amid questions about his consulting job at a law firm that lobbies state government and the controversy in the presidential race about Mitt Romney's taxes.

Walter Dalton is trying to make the choice for governor crystal clear for voters, debuting a new website Thursday that stacks his ideas against Republican Pat McCrory.

The website is expectedly one-sided and at times outright wrong, lacking the space and the depth to truly reflect the candidates' positions. One example of the bold accusations: "Pat McCrory looks down on rural areas," reads one point. "Pat McCrory wants some children left behind," says another.

Six weeks before Election Day, states across the country are still wrestling over new voting laws. They’re among 17 states which, citing voting integrity, have passed ID laws or other measures that could impact the election. Critics say they could suppress turnout by discouraging some voters – especially seniors and minorities – from voting. 

But it’s the absence of such a law in North Carolina that has become an issue in the state’s gubernatorial race, offering a sharp contrast between Democrat Walter Dalton and Republican Pat McCrory. Read more here.

More political headlines below.