The major Democratic candidates for governor held their first televised debate Monday night, rapping the Republican legislature for education cuts but offering only muted criticisms of one another.
Introducing themselves to what polls suggest is a large number of undecided voters, Lt Gov. Walter Dalton, former Congressman Bob Etheridge and state Rep. Bill Faison spent much of the hour talking about their backgrounds and discussing how they would work to address North Carolina’s high unemployment numbers and help the state regain momentum in education.
Read the full story and see a photo gallery from the debate -- the first of a trio that continues tonight. Click here to see how the pundits rated the night. And check to see if the candidates were telling the truth about the state's economy, tracking and federal transportation money in the N&O's Fact Check.
In other headlines:
--Columnist Barry Saunders: Until the Democratic Party tells everything there is to tell about the harassment allegations and the settlement, many others may get the same impression – that Raleigh is a Democratic den of iniquity. To borrow a phrase from Jay Parmley, let me be clear: What David Parker needs to do is tell why he settled with the alleged victim, why he kept quiet about it and how much money the ex-staffer was paid. Full column here.
-- The number of North Carolina residents younger than 65 who don’t have health insurance jumped 22.5 percent in a five-year stretch ending in 2010, according to an independent state health agency.
-- Sweepstakes parlors in North Carolina are poised for another rapid expansion, a month after the N.C. Court of Appeals made them legal.
--U.S. Rep Sue Myrick jumped into the battle between two Republicans vying to replace her on Monday – and came under fire herself. Myrick appeared at a news conference where Jim Pendergraph defended himself from attacks by Robert Pittenger. Read Jim Morrill's full story here.
