• Another Republican, Mattie Lawson, joins the House District 6 race (Beaufort Observer)
  • Incumbent Democrat Larry Kissell leads the way in 8th Congressional District fundraising, hauling in $527,486 through the end of 2011 (Salisbury Post)
  • Rep. Phil Shepard, R-Onslow, announces that he will seek another term (Jacksonville Daily News)
  • The Civitas Institute and WRAL-TV will host a debate between the 13th Congressional District Republicans on March 3 (Dome)
  • Pat McCrory refuses to release his tax returns, says he’s “not independently wealthy” (Dome)
  • North Carolina is a battleground for the almighty dollar in the 2012 presidential campaign (N&O)
  • Despite Rep. Heath Shuler’s retirement, Patsy Keever will remain a candidate in the 10th Congressional District Democratic primary and not jump into the neighboring 11th Congressional District race (Mountain Xpress)
  • Republican Gene McIntyre, a county commissioner from Stanly County, is running in Senate District 25 (Laurinburg Exchange)
  • House Minority Leader Joe Hackney, D-Orange, says that his retirement is a “normal step” (Herald-Sun)
  • In deciding to forego a run for governor, Erskine Bowles might have been haunted by his father’s failed gubernatorial bid in 1972 (Winston-Salem Journal)
  • How much impact did the boos in the Dean Dome have on Gov. Bev Perdue’s decision not to run? (N&O)
  • Democratic leaders say that U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler’s decision to retire was surprising (McDowell News)