SEANC candidates did well

Election Day was a good day for SEANC.

Only 17 of the 121 candidates endorsed by the State Employees Association of North Carolina did not win election — an 86 percent success rate for the state workers' group.

Big wins included Governor-elect Beverly Perdue, who writes the state budget and can veto legislation on state workers' issues; Lt. Governor-elect Walter Dalton, who presides over the state Senate; 29 of 32 endorsed Senate races and 67 of 74 House races.

Among the disappointments was state Auditor Les Merritt, a rare Republican to receive the group's backing; Commissioner of Labor Mary Fant Donnan, who had pledged to be more labor-friendly; and Ed Ridpath, a perennial candidate who had hoped to unseat House Republican leader Paul Stam.

State organizer Kevin LeCount said SEANC's political action committee spent about $250,000 on the election, including 48,500 mailers touting the endorsements and donations of up to $4,000 to legislative candidates.

SEANC's national affiliate, the Service Employees International Union, also spent money on the governor's race.