Congressman Price, state Sen. Dan Blue to endorse Etheridge

Former Congressman Bob Etheridge will announce big endorsements for his gubernatorial bid on Monday.

Democratic Congressman David Price and Democratic state Sen. Dan Blue -- who at one point considered entering the governor's race himself -- are the biggest names on the list. Price and Blue will appear at a Monday morning press conference for Etheridge.

The former Congressman is locked in dead heat with Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton. State Rep. Bill Faison is a distant third.

Earlier in the week, Etheridge's campaign released a list of 500 educators supporting his bid. Etheridge is a former state superintendent. Cecil Banks, a three-term president of the N.C. Association of Educators, the state's largest teachers association, is leading the effort.

“The common theme for why these educators support Bob Etheridge is that they know Bob stood up for public education as a county commissioner, a state legislator, as state superintendent of schools and in Congress,” said Banks, who led the association in the 80s and 90s. "And they know as governor he will fight to invest in and improve our schools.”