Highlights:
A 90-year-old physician is running for governor. Two open congressional seats attracted a combined 19 candidates. And six Democrats and six Republicans are vying to replace Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue.
Nearly a quarter of the state legislature won re-election Wednesday without a single ballot being cast. Those lawmakers – 10 senators and 29 House members – didn’t draw a challenger. Excluding Libertarian candidates, the number of lawmakers who won’t face a major party challenge jumps to 71, or 42 percent of the legislature. At the statewide level, Democratic Attorney General Roy Cooper was the only official who didn’t attract a competitor.
Familiar faces return: A few recognizable political faces return, notably Republican Pat McCrory, who wants another shot at the governor’s mansion after losing to Perdue in 2008. Other names: former Republican House Speaker Richard Morgan filed to run for insurance commissioner; former gubernatorial candidate and GOP state Sen. Fern Shubert filed for state auditor; and disgraced former Division of Motor Vehicles Commissioner George Tatum filed for state Senate as a Democrat.
An election primer for the 2012 races in North Carolina – Elections – NewsObserver.com.