• Lt. Gov. Dan Forest has produced the first ad for his re-election campaign, and it focuses on his leadership of the opposition to the Charlotte “bathroom” ordinance, which resulted in House Bill 2.
• A fascinating op-ed column in the Los Angeles Times by law professors from William & Mary and the University of Virginia examine Attorney General Roy Cooper’s refusal to defend the state in several lawsuits in which he disagrees with state policy, noting it’s becoming a trend in states where the AG and the governor are from different political parties, and saying, “states ought not ignore the uptick in nondefenses [from AGs] and charges of lawlessness and bad faith that result from it. They need to reconsider the function of attorneys general and how best to defend the constitutionality of state laws.”
• A poll commissioned by the campaign committee of U.S. Rep Alma Adams, D-12th District, found the incumbent with a 9-point lead in the seven-candidate Democratic primary contest. Adams led former state Sen. Malcolm Graham 37 percent to 28 percent; state Reps. Tricia Cotham and Carla Cunningham collected 11 percent each. The top vote-getter in the June 7 primary will go on to the November general election, unless a federal court throws out the congressional district maps.
• The FreedomWorks PAC, which was instrumental in providing financial support for candidates backed by the Tea Party, has endorsed GOP U.S. Rep. George Holding, who is giving up his seat in the 13th District to challenge incumbent 2nd District Republican Renee Ellmers.