? Pat McCrory and Beverly Perdue will debate tonight at WRAL-TV, with the broadcast to be carried live or taped on TV stations in Charlotte, the Triad, and Wilmington as well as public radio. Look for McCrory to tie Perdue to the status quo in Raleigh and for Perdue to challenge McCrory on school choice. Tomorrow, Perdue will campaign in Salisbury.
? The NASCAR Hall of Fame project in Charlotte, supporting by McCrory, is going over budget by about 20 percent. McCrory complains that project managers haven’t kept the city informed. Meanwhile, the Institute for Constitutional Law argues its case before the Supreme Court that the lottery was enacted unconstitutionally, prompting mention of Perdue’s tie-breaking vote in the Senate for the bill.
? Kay Hagan’s campaign is following Chuck Schumer’s playbook in bashing Elizabeth Dole on effectiveness, reports The Politico, while Dole seeks to emphasize her stances on local issues. Speaking at a Nash County event, Dole seeks to distance herself from President Bush. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee steps up its charges that Dole is too close to oil companies. At a talk at Elon University, political analyst Charlie Cook says the Senate race is essentially a referendum on Dole’s tenure, rather than a specific contrast between Dole and Hagan.
? Bill Daughtridge takes his campaign for state treasurer to Henderson County, emphasizing his managerial experience. His opponent, Janet Cowell, is one of several candidates to attend an African Methodist gathering in Winston-Salem.
