Good morning! If you can, be sure to drop by John Locke Foundation HQ at noon today, as John Hood will place many of the past three years’ actions by the General Assembly in context.
• Republican U.S. Senate candidate Greg Brannon announced the opening of four campaign offices statewide. Brannon, a physician from Cary, is one of six Republican challengers to incumbent Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan.
• State Sen. Bob Rucho, R-Mecklenburg, is already after Charlotte attorney Matt Arnold, who is expected to battle Rucho for the GOP nomination in the 39th District. Rucho launches two serious invectives Arnold’s way, calling him “just another trial lawyer who fills our courts with frivolous lawsuits,” and, worse(?), a “liberal Democrat.”
• McIntyre for Senate? State Senate, that is? A story reporting that retiring 7th District U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre has more than $600,000 in his House campaign account suggests that the Lumberton Democrat may run for the District 13 state Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Michael Walters. McIntyre will not be able to use any money donated to his federal campaign for a state race.
• The director of the Forsyth County Board of Elections was fired last week by the State Board of Elections for errors he made in a disputed election in the village of Tobaccoville.
