Barry Smith - In the Loop

Being environmentally friendly has become a hot topic among a couple of the candidates running for lieutenant governor.

The Conservation PAC has endorsed Dan Besse for the post. Hampton Dellinger’s campaign sent out an email touting former Vice President Al Gore’s praise of Dellinger. Both Besse and Dellinger opposed permitting Duke Energy to build the new Cliffside coal-fired power plant in Cleveland and Rutherford counties.

State Sen. Walter Dalton, D-Rutherford, however, supported the plant, which would be located in his senatorial district. Dalton’s campaign web site lists a number of his environmental accomplishments while in the Senate, including spearheading an effort to add Chimney Rock Park to the state park system, cosponsoring the Clean Water Act and other land preservation acts.

One of the more surprising developments to come out of Monday’s filings for public office was that of Rep. Dale Folwell, R-Forsyth, filed to run for re-election to his House seat. Folwell had planned to run for state treasurer.

Had he run for treasurer, he would have faced Rep. Bill Daughtridge, R-Nash, in a Republican primary. A recent Public Policy Polling survey showed Folwell trailing Daughtridge, but not by an insurmountable amount. Dautridge had 21 percent to Folwell’s 14 percent, with 65 percent undecided.

“Citizens across North Carolina have given me terrific opportunities over the past few months to outline conservative solutions to the problems affecting us all,” Folwell said in a statement. “I can best accomplish those results in the North Carolina House.”

Democrats announced in the race for state treasurer include state Sen. Janet Cowell of Wake County, Michael Weisel of Wake County and David Young, a Buncombe County commissioner.

The current treasurer, Richard Moore, is not running for re-election. He is running for governor.

Every two years, all 170 seats in the General Assembly (120 in the House, 50 in the Senate) are up. Members serve two year-terms.

Democrats hold partisan majorities in both chambers, 68-52 in the House and 31-19 in the Senate. Republicans could capture majorities with a pickup of nine seats in the House and a gain of seven seats in the Senate (or just six seats in the Senate if the lieutenant governor, the Senate’s presiding officer, happens to be a Republican).

Many, including myself, think their best chance this year is to pick up the Senate seats. That’s because a couple of higher-profile Democrats who hold seats in competitive or Republican-leaning districts won’t be running for re-election this year. They are Walter Dalton in the 46^th District, who’s running for lieutenant governor, and John Kerr in the 5^th District, who’s retiring. Add to that Democratic senators in three mountain districts that generally vote Republican (Steve Goss in the 45^th, Joe Sam Queen in the 47^th and John Snow 50^th, one in the Piedmont (Tony Foriest in the 24^th) and one along the coast (Julia Boseman in the 9^th) and you’ve got the makings of a tight fall campaign.

One other strong Republican district in the western Piedmont, the 43^rd, is held by Democrat David Hoyle. Hoyle had considered not running for re-election this year, but decided to give it another go. The eight-term senator has stayed in office despite the political odds, at least in part because of strong support from the business community who might otherwise vote Republican.

Republicans have been recruiting candidates to run for these seats. Meanwhile, Democrats haven’t been sitting idly by either. They shown political skill in knowing where to recruit and put their dollars in recent years.

Among the GOP candidates in these races are a couple of state representatives, that Republicans think have a good shot at winning. Rep. Louis Pate, R-Wayne, plans to run for the 5^th District seat. Rep. Debbie Clary, R-Cleveland is running for the 46^th District seat.

Kathy Harrington, wife of former Rep. Michael Harrington, R-Gaston, is seeking to oust Hoyle. Richard Gunn plans to challenge Foriest in the 24^th District.

It could be a tight contest.