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Gary Dunn is a longshot for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. But that doesn't mean the 58-year-old Matthews resident won't cause problems for the top tier candidates. On Thursday he became the first candidate to revive an issue Democrats don't like to discuss -- particularly Bob Etheridge: the chokehold.

Dunn sent an email Thursday morning -- a regular item he calls a "virtual press conference" -- highlighting an infamous video in which Etheridge grabs a "college kid" (acting as a Republican operative) by the arm and then the neck on a Washington sidewalk.

Dunn said Etheridge was the "target of a focused and dishonest attack" but suggests Etheridge's baggage will only hurt the party's chances in the November election.

Rick Glazier is dropping his bid for state superintendent, deciding instead to seek re-election to the state House and avoid a messy Democratic primary with incumbent June Atkinson.

Glazier, a veteran Democratic lawmaker, filed paperwork to run for superintendent earlier this month against Atkinson, who he criticized for not opposing Republican education budget cuts more forcefully.

According to a statement, he changed his mind at the behest of state Democratic Party leaders who encouraged him to remain in the House amid other major party departures, including House Minority Leader Joe Hackney.

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.

With candidate filing starting Monday, state legislative races are getting interesting.

In District 38, a Wake County open seat created in the GOP-led redistricting, four Democrats are making a bid. Lee Sartain, a 30-year-old Raleigh Democrat, is the latest to join the race, making an official announcement Tuesday. He joins Lindy Brown, a former Wake County commissioner, who recently unveiled her new campaign website.

Abeni El-Amin and Yvonne Lewis Holley are also looking to make a run for the seat currently held by Democratic Rep. Deborah Ross.

Republicans moved Ross to House District 34, double-bunking her with close friends and fellow Democrat Rep. Grier Martin. And at this point, it appears Ross and Martin may challenge each other in a Democratic primary.