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Who is the highest ranking elected official in North Carolina that nobody knows? The award goes to Beth Wood, the state auditor. 

A National Research poll commissioned by the Civitas Institute looks at voter's thoughts on the nine elected Council of State officials and found only two -- Attorney General Roy Cooper and Secretary of State Elaine Marshall -- who were known by more than half the voters.

Wood topped the "never heard of" list (75 percent of voters), followed closely by State Treasurer Janet Cowell (74 percent), Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin (73 percent) and Superintendent of Education June Atkinson (61 percent).

Among Council of State officials, voters had the most favorable opinions of Cooper (30 percent), Marshall (29 percent), Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler (21 percent) and Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry (21 percent).

Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton won the curious designation as the top elected official who voters knew but didn't know how they felt about (54 percent).

COOPER STEPS IN: N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper is asking 14 lenders to suspend foreclosures in the state until they can show that their process complies with the law. (CharO)

BURR'S RECORD: In U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, North Carolinians have a lawmaker who looks the part of a moderate businessman, works like a policy wonk and votes sharply conservative. (N&O)

MARSHALL'S RECORD: Elaine Marshall turned the Secretary of State's office into an enforcer. Now she touts her record in securities regulation and lobbying reform as useful training for the Senate. (N&O)

NO ONE IN CHARGE: For 21 years, a key group of State Bureau of Investigation agents tasked with interpreting bloodstain patterns at crime scenes operated on their own, without leadership or written policies. (N&O)

HEAVY IS THE CROWN: Attorney General Roy Cooper's political future likely rests on how he handles problems in the SBI lab. (N&O)

NEW SIDE OF THE PORCH: The old fellas from the rocking chairs who helped defeat former U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole are now working for U.S. Sen. Richard Burr. (N&O)

ABOVE THE LAW: State Sen. Don Davis learned a little bit about public relations this week when he wondered aloud to a reporter whether lawmakers conducting public business should be exempt from speeding tickets. Davis, a Snow Hill Democrat, had been stopped in Zebulon and was concerned about the length of the traffic stop. Day after his comments were reported, Davis issued a statement in which he clarified that he does not believe lawmakers are above the law.

DEBATE CLUB: The Democrats running for U.S. Senate participated in a debate that featured some gentle nudging among the candidates and some less-than-gentle nudging of Republican Sen. Richard Burr. Memorable lines include little-known candidate Ann Worthy explaining that as a teacher, she couldn't possibly do any worse in Congress than the lawyers and politicians already there.

THE CHOICE: Speaker Joe Hackney signaled that during the campaign, Democrats intend to portray Republicans as a party that can't or won't govern. Meanwhile Republicans are gearing up for a campaign based on public discontent about Gov. Bev Perdue and President Barack Obama.

IN OTHER NEWS: Ruffin Poole, an aide to former Gov. Mike Easley, is set to face a trial on corruption charges May 3. Attorney General Roy Cooper named a new head of his office's Consumer Protection Division. Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin will headline the Democrats' Jefferson Jackson Dinner.

Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue this morning sidetracked a Republican effort to get North Carolina to join 15 other states who have filed a lawsuit challenging the new federal health care law.

Republicans had hoped to get the Council of State — a body of the state's 10 top executive branch elected officials — to appropriate money to pay for legal fees for such a suit, Rob Christensen reports.

But Perdue said it was inappropriate for the council to take up the health care issue because the state's chief lawyer, Democratic Attorney General Roy Cooper, was in Charlotte attending a law enforcement meeting that she said had been scheduled for months.

"This is a legal issue," Perdue said. "Attorney General Cooper is not with us."

That brought a protest from Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry, a Republican, who said a quorum was present and a discussion should be permitted.

But Perdue declined to allow further discussion.

"That is just the way it is....As such that is the end of the question," Perdue said.

The governor said if Berry thought it was important to address the issue immediately, she was free to act independently.

"Anybody here can file a lawsuit," Perdue said, "It's part of being American to sue."

After the meeting, Berry said she didn't think Perdue had followed the rules that allows any council member to bring up an issue for discussion.

She also expressed disappointment that Cooper didn't change his schedule to attend the council meeting. Another council member not present, Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, a U.S. Senate candidate, participated in the meeting by telephone — a common practice for such meetings.

"When Attorney General Cooper approached that microphone on April 11, 2007, and pronounced those Duke lacrosse players innocent I cheered him for doing the right thing," Berry said. "I hope to be able to cheer him again when he steps up and takes leadership that I know he is capable of and protects the rights and freedoms of North Carolina citizens."

She was referring to the famous case in which Cooper exonerated three Duke lacrosse players falsely accused of rape.

Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler, a Republican, also urged the council to consider the health care law.

Two blocks away from the council meeting, about 150 opponents of the health care law held a rally urging Perdue and Cooper to join the law suit. The rally, sponsored by the state chapter of Americans for Prosperity, a conservative advocacy group, attracted key GOP lawmakers including Senate Republican leader Phil Berger of Eden and House Republican leader Paul "Skip" Stam of Apex.

Republicans have said they will introduce legislation when the legislature reconvenes in May to allow citizens to opt out any mandates of the new health care law.

Those attending the rally carried such signs as "Obamacare is socialism" and "Kill The Bill."

Former state Sen. Cal Cunningham of Lexington has apparently changed his mind, and is moving toward entering the U.S. Senate race next year.

Cunningham, an Iraq war veteran, last month announced he was ending an exploratory effort and would not challenge Republican Sen. Richard Burr in 2010, Rob Christensen reports.

Since then, Cunningham has been heavily courted by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which has has been urging him to reconsider his decision.

Cunningham was not returning calls Tuesday. But the word on the street is that he has signaled to Democrats in Washington that he is prepared to enter the race.

He is apparently holding off making any statement for a few days out of respect for Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, who lost her husband, William Holdford, to cancer over the weekend. He is being buried today.

Marshall and Kenneth Lewis, a Chapel Hill lawyer, are the two Democrats who have announced candidacies.

The senatorial committee has evolved into the major banker of Senate campaigns and therefore plays a major role in recruiting candidates. The senatorial committee first tried to recruit Attorney General Roy Cooper and U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge before turning to Cunningham.

The Democrats are hoping for a repeat of the Kay Hagan experience. During the 2008 election cycle, Hagan, a Democratic state senator first explored a Senate bid, then announced she would not be a candidate, only to to be recruited back into the race by the senatorial committee. She eventually defeated Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole.

Update: Marshall consultant Thomas Mills told Roll Call, a Capitol Hill newspaper that voters should take note of the fact that Cunningham seems very concerned about approval from Washington.

"It’s pretty tasteless to leak or announce you’re running on the day that Secretary Marshall’s dealing with her husband’s funeral," Marshall consultant Thomas Mills said. "But if he is running, this is all about D.C. money. He’s waited until he got the approval of D.C. power brokers — that’s not a very good indication of the type of Senator he would make."

Update: Cunningham issued a statement Tuesday saying, "This week our thoughts and prayers are with Secretary Marshall and we are not making any announcements of any kind." 

Congressman Bob Etheridge said Friday that he would not challenge Republican Sen. Richard Burr next year, despite a concerted effort by the national Democratic Party to coax him into the race.

The decision is another setback for the Democrats, who earlier this year failed to entice Attorney General Roy Cooper into the race, Rob Christensen reports. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has turned its attention to former state Sen. Cal Cunningham, an Iraq War veteran from Lexington, who had spent several months exploring a Senate bid, before announcing Monday that he would not be a candidate.

Etheridge, a veteran Congressman, former superintendent of public instruction, former legislator and former Harnett County commissioner, is one of the Tar Heel Democratic Party's proven commodities. Etheridge said he looked at the Senate race strongly this time but in the end, "I just decided not to do it."

UPDATE: National Republican senatorial campaign spokesman Colin Reed said Etheridge's decision leaves a big hole in the Democrats' recruiting class and shows that Democrats "on the ground in North Carolina have a much different view of this race than party officials in Washington."

The National Republican Senatorial Committee is doing a little victory dance over former state Sen. Cal Cunningham's decision not to challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Richard Burr next year.

By the GOP's count (which looks an awful lot like a list compiled by Dome), Cunningham is the 10th Democrat who has looked at the Senate race and decided to take a pass, Rob Christensen reports. Here is the Republican's list: Attorney General Roy Cooper, Rep. Heath Shuler, Rep. Mike McIntyre, Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton, Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker, state Rep. Grier Martin, state Rep. Tricia Cotham, former state Treasurer Richard Moore, and state Sen. Malcolm Graham.

"Once again," said Republican spokesman Colin Reed, "the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and national Democrats have suffered a serious setback in their efforts to land a top-tier candidate in North Carolina."

Likely disagreeing with that sentiment are the two announced Democrats, Secretary of State Elaine Marshall and Durham lawyer Kenneth Lewis. U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge and Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy are looking at the race.

Update: Also disagreeing with Reed was DSCC communications director Eric Schultz.

"Aside from Senator John Ensign, Senator Burr has the lowest approval rating of any Republican in the United States Senate. That’s because he’s beholden to the special interests in Washington. He will face a formidable opponent next November."

Democratic U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge said today that he is giving some thought to running against Republican Sen. Richard Burr next year.

Etheridge, a Lillington Democrat, said he has been courted by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee as a potential candidate, reports Rob Christensen.

“I’m evaluating it,” Etheridge said during a meeting Wednesday with reporters and editors at The News & Observer.

Etheridge said he met recently with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and had discussions with family members and a few key supporters. Etheridge said he hoped to make a decision by September.

The backing of the DSCC is important because Senate races have become nationalized. The DSCC spent at least $10 million on behalf of Democrat Kay Hagan last year, playing a pivotal role in her defeat of Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole.

Etheridge said it was a particularly difficult decision because he is the first Tar Heel in 56 years to serve as a member of the influential House Ways and Means Committee.

Read more after the jump.

Two things are certain about the Senate race next year.

Democrats think they can beat Sen. Richard Burr. And party faithful seem worried about the candidate roster. Over the weekend, articles in The American Spectator and The Hill ruminated on the would-be or wouldn't-be candidates.

The Spectator article dismissed Cal Cunningham and Kenneth Lewis as "no-name lawyers." The piece focused on why top-tier candidates, including Attorney General Roy Cooper, decided not to run.

So why did Cooper brush aside a Senate bid? We'll never know for sure, but two possibilities come to mind. One is the heat Cooper has taken from Republicans, which has trickled into the wider electorate, for going soft on former Democratic Gov. Mike Easley. Easley is under state and federal investigation for alleged ethics violations and campaign finance malfeasance.

A second reason is a defamation lawsuit filed against Cooper nine years ago. The suit alleges that Cooper defamed his Republican challenger during a race for attorney general by airing a misleading television ad. A superior court judge recently denied Cooper's motion to dismiss the lawsuit, allowing the case to go to trial.

The Hill piece wonders whether Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, who is clearly trying to generate buzz for a run, could follow in the steps of Kay Hagan, who was seen as a long-shot candidate who went on to defeat Sen. Elizabeth Dole.

Still, thanks to the decisions of state Attorney General Roy Cooper and a few members of the state’s congressional delegation to pass on the race, Marshall appears next in line.

Nobody is getting terribly excited about her candidacy, but nobody was terribly excited two years ago either, after a similar cast of characters passed on a challenge to Sen. Elizabeth Dole.