crisco• Former state Commerce Secretary Keith Crisco (at right), a Democrat, has called a press conference for 10 a.m. today in Asheboro, where he’s expected to announce a run for the 2nd Congresssional District seat held by Republican Renee Ellmers.

• Democratic U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan will join Democratic state legislators at a 10:30 press conference press conference in Raleigh, where she will urge the General Assembly and the McCrory administration to apply for extended unemployment insurance benefits if a measure authorizing them passes Congress. House Speaker Thom Tillis, R-Mecklenburg, who is running against Hagan, backs the current unemployment plan.

• Gov. Pat McCrory can affect the race for two seats on the N.C. Supreme Court, Under the Dome reports. Chief Justice Sarah Parker must retire in August, allowing McCrory to appoint Associate Justice Mark Martin, who’s running for Parker’s seat, to be the “incumbent.” McCrory also can appoint a replacement for Martin; if the governor picks Appeals Court Judge Robert N. Hunter Jr., a Republican, to serve the last few months of Martin’s term, Hunter also would be the incumbent.

• McCrory is expected to announce today the date of a special election to fill the seat of U.S. Rep. Mel Watt, D-12th District, who resigned to lead the Federal Housing Finance Agency. At least six Democrats, including several from the General Assembly, are expected to run for the position.

• A Wilmington Star-News editorial suggests that New Hanover County Commissioners Jonathan Barfield, a Democrat, and Woody White, a Republican, may be too distracted to handle their commission duties effectively as both are running for the 7th U.S. Congressional District seat held by Democrat Mike McIntyre.