John Locke Foundation President John Hood earned extra media air time this week as the 2012 election season entered its closing stages. Hood discussed the elections during an appearance on WUNC Radio’s flagship local program, “The State of Things.” The election also dominated the discussion when Hood served as a Talk Radio WPTF guest host; he interviewed Republican gubernatorial contender Pat McCrory, N.C. House Speaker Thom Tillis, and News & Observer editor John Drescher.

Hood’s latest contributions to National Review Online’s primary blog, “The Corner,” focused on President Obama’s re-election prospects in North Carolina and an analysis of national and state-level election developments. Hood also took his electoral knowledge on the road for a presentation to the Rowan County Chamber of Commerce. The Salisbury Post covered that speech.

Vice President for Outreach Becki Gray discussed electoral news during an appearance with Bill Flynn on WEGO Radio. Gray continues her semiweekly politics and public policy updates for WTSB Radio listeners, and she spoke this morning to the Cary Rotary Club.

N.C. Senate Republicans promoted in their daily press email Hood’s columns on McCrory’s record, shortening the North Carolina election ballot, the problem of treating all government spending as “investment,” and the need for concord and union during times of heated political debate.

The Senate GOP also highlighted Carolina Journal Executive Editor Don Carrington‘s report on a controversial voter registration drive at a Goldsboro-based state mental hospital. That story also attracted attention at Lucianne.com. This morning’s follow-up story, naming Chapel Hill killer Wendell Williamson as one of the mental patients newly registered to vote from a separate state hospital, already has attracted top billing at CarolinaPlottHound.com.

Senate Republicans cited Associate Editor Barry Smith‘s report on a controversy surrounding Harnett County courthouse workers‘ campaign activity, contributor Sara Burrows‘ profiles of elections in N.C. Senate Districts 9 and 18, and Wild West blogger Leslee Kulba‘s report on the race in House District 45.

An Alamance News candidate profile cited the John Locke Foundation’s opposition to targeted tax incentives. (I’d vote against incentives. John Locke Foundation and University of Charleston Economic Department found incentives are short-sighted and are “of great interest to big, mature companies, they are largely irrelevant to the creation of new companies that generate most of the new jobs and income growth in a modem economy.”)