Republican former justice Orr helps Democrat Atkinson

Republican former state Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr crossed the aisle to help Democrat June Atkinson in her campaign for reelection as state Superintendent of Public Instruction. He recorded a robocall for her that went out to voters Friday.

Orr, who ran for governor in the GOP primary four years ago, represented Atkinson in her successful suit against Gov. Bev Perdue to be able to run the state Department of Public Instruction.

Here's a transcript of the call:

"I'm Bob Orr, former state Supreme Court justice, and I support June Atkinson for Superintendent of Public Instruction. She is the only candidate with a distinguished long-term record of accomplishments in public education. June Atkinson has worked in a non-partisan way for all the school children in North Carolina. Yes, I am a Republican and she's a Democrat. But please join me in reelecting June Atkinson as state superintendent."
 

Atkinson is running for a third term against Republican John Tedesco, a Wake County school board member.