GOVERNOR

WALTER DALTON

Democrat Walter Dalton and Republican Pat McCrory are each capable of being a good governor.

The question is who will be better for North Carolina and our region, the Albemarle.

The answer is Dalton. He will better stand up for rural parts of the state and serve as a veto threat to what is likely to be another Republican-controlled legislature.

McCrory, the longtime mayor of Charlotte, has run a similar campaign to 2008, when he lost to Gov. Bev Perdue, whom we supported. He is big in arguing for change, but small when it comes to details.

He attacks the Democratic establishment as lacking the leadership to fix a broken economy and bring prosperity. He has linked Dalton, the lieutenant governor, to Perdue in trying to paint four years of failed tax and spend policies. In fact, North Carolina’s economic slowdown was the result of the national recession, which has impacted every other state as well.

Yet, McCrory says the state will be more attractive to business growth with fewer regulations and by cutting individual and corporate income taxes.

McCrory hasn’t said how he’ll make up for the lost revenue, which worries us. It could mean less to pay for education, transportation and other infrastructure that businesses look at before setting up shop.

Dalton says no such tax overhaul is necessary. He’s right. Changing the state’s tax code as the nation is recovering seems premature.

Also, on those other big issues important to North Carolinians — education, infrastructure, health care, energy, and the environment, Dalton gets the edge. In addition to tackling difficult budgets, he’s vowed to protect those items so important to our rural areas, whereas McCrory has not.

McCrory likes to link Dalton to Perdue, even though he has had little if any influence on the governor’s decisions in the past four years. Nonetheless, that’s fine as far as we’re concerned.

In the past two years, Perdue has vetoed 19 bills sent to her by the Republican-controlled General Assembly, 11 of which were overridden with help from a handful of House Democrats. The GOP holds a veto-proof 31-19 majority in the Senate, and 68 of 120 seats in the House — four short of the number needed to override a veto on their own.

What she vetoed is important to us. She vetoed attempts to fight the Affordable Health Care Act (Obamacare), budget bills that didn’t contain enough money for public education, a disenfranchising Voter ID bill, broader obstacles for women seeking an abortion, rolling back the 2009 Racial Justice Act, legalization of fracking for natural gas and promoting opening the state up to drilling with few safeguards.

For those reasons and because Dalton would not ignore rural North Carolina, we endorse him as governor.

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

LINDA D. COLEMAN

Coleman, a Democrat, has worked at several levels of local and state government and as a teacher. She has excellent credentials and experience to serve in this post.

AUDITOR

BETH A. WOOD

In her first term, Wood’s office has identified poor contracting practices, exposing hundreds of millions of dollars of waste. The Democrat has shown toughness and fairness in earning another term.

COMMISSIONER OF 
AGRICULTURE

STEVE TROXLER

The Republican farm leader has demonstrated sound judgment in representing all parts of the state, including the Albemarle, and deserves re-election.

COMMISSIONER OF INSURANCE

WAYNE GOODWIN

Goodwin, a Democrat, has faced an outcry from opponents to higher insurance rates, but he is doing all he can in his jurisdiction to hold rates down.

COMMISSIONER OF LABOR

CHERIE BERRY

The incumbent Republican has done a solid job and deserves another term.

SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

JUNE ATKINSON

Atkinson, the incumbent Democrat, has played a big role in helping to oversee improving school test scores and graduation rates.

TREASURER

JANET COWELL

Cowell, the Democrat incumbent, has also done a solid job and should be re-elected

N.C. SUPREME COURT

SAM J. ERVIN IV

Ervin has demonstrated at the appellate court level that he is a fair, objective judge, with no strings to special interests.

COURT OF APPEALS

WANDA BRYANT

LINDA MCGEE

CRESSIE THIGPEN

All three incumbents have served well and deserve another term.