Democrats casing House speaker's chair

If Black returns to House, that doesn't guarantee another term as speaker

House Democrats will return to Raleigh early next year with a stronger majority and a likely free-for-all over who will run the chamber.

Election results appear to have given the Democrats at least four more seats in the House, while Jim Black's hold on the speakership grew more tenuous. Black was only seven votes ahead of Republican challenger Hal Jordan in a strongly Democratic district that covers a southeastern slice of Mecklenburg County, and a recount was expected.

"I think his leadership has run out of steam regardless of what happens ... and it's a question of who is going to emerge as an alternative candidate," said Andrew Taylor, a political science professor at N.C. State University.

On Wednesday, three veteran lawmakers acknowledged their intentions to run for speaker if Black can't hold the position.

Among them is Majority Leader Joe Hackney of Orange County, who previously had declined to talk about the possibility of a speaker's race.

"It's obvious that there will be some people exploring that option as we go along, and I'd be one of them," Hackney said.

The others are former Speaker Dan Blue of Raleigh, who is returning to the House to fill a seat made vacant by Rep. Bernard Allen's death, and Drew Saunders, a five-term lawmaker from Mecklenburg County who said he would run only if Black cannot.

Blue and Saunders confirmed their interest in the position as they arrived Wednesday night at a meeting of House Democrats at N.C. State's McKimmon Center to sum up the 2006 elections.

At the end of the legislative session this year, Black said he would seek a record fifth term for speaker, one of the most powerful positions in state government. But Black said Wednesday that before running for another term as speaker, he had to make sure he would hold on to his legislative seat.

"You take a step at a time," Black said before heading into Wednesday's meeting.

Black also said he thought he still had more commitments for speaker than any other announced candidate.

Ran Coble, executive director for the N.C. Center for Public Policy Research, said Black's prospects for the top spot in the House darkened further because he could not contribute hundreds of thousands of dollars from his campaign fund to help his colleagues in tight races. Black needed most of his $1 million campaign fund to pay legal bills for the state and federal investigations into his legislative and campaign activities.

"He doesn't have many green stamps to cash in on," Coble said.

Several House Democrats said during the campaign that they would not support Black if he sought another term as speaker.

Others who have expressed an interest in the job include Jim Crawford of Oxford, Hugh Holliman of Lexington, Mickey Michaux of Durham, and Bill Faison of Orange County.

Crawford, Faison, Hackney, Holliman and Saunders all gave $10,000 or more to the state Democratic Party to help legislative candidates in the House, campaign finance reports show. Hackney gave the most -- $56,000 to the party and $29,000 more to individual candidates.

Crawford, Holliman and Saunders each gave $30,000 or more to the party for other candidates, records show. Faison, Holliman and Saunders gave thousands of dollars directly to their colleagues.

Coble said the picture will become clearer when Black's House seat is resolved, which is likely to take at least two weeks. House Democrats typically meet behind closed doors in December to choose a candidate, but someone who isn't chosen can still try to grab the speakership by cutting a deal with Republicans.

Blue tried that approach in 1999 to wrestle the seat from Black, but he failed by one vote.

Hackney said Wednesday's "post-mortem" on the election was not intended to be an opportunity for speaker candidates to play up their strengths and gauge interest, but at least one candidate said he would do some low-key campaigning.

"I'll do some of that this evening," Blue said.