Sens. Julia Boseman and R.C. Soles Jr. spent the most of any competitive legislative candidate to win their seats.
Boseman, a Wilmington Democrat, spent $871,500 in her race, and Soles, a Columbus County Democrat, spent $839,500, according to an analysis of campaign spending by the Program on Public Life at UNC-Chapel Hill.
The list of top spenders did not include candidates who ran unopposed and therefore excludes spending by Senate leader Marc Basnight, who spent $1.3 million, or House Speaker Joe Hackney, who spent $744,000.
The top spenders in the House were Randy Stewart, a Nash County Democrat ($382,000), and House Majority Leader Hugh Holliman, a Lexington Democrat ($354,000).
On the Republican side in the House, the top spenders were Rep. David Lewis, a Dunn Republican ($232,000), and House Republican Leader Paul Stam, an Apex Republican ($196,000).
Among Senate Republicans, the top spenders were Sen. Neal Hunt, a Wake County Republican ($813,000), and Richard Gunn, an Alamance County Republican who spent $386,000 in a losing effort against Democratic Sen. Tony Foriest.
Good poll results for GOP
Two new surveys bear good news for Republicans looking to make an impression in elections next year.
The Civitas Institute has found that a majority of voters would favor Republicans in 2010 congressional races. The survey found that 52 percent would vote Republican, 29 percent would vote Democratic, and 9 percent were unsure.
Meanwhile, a poll by Public Policy Polling found that 46 percent of North Carolina voters would pick a Republican in the legislative races, and 48 percent would pick a Republican in a congressional race. The survey of 683 voters Oct. 2 through Oct. 4 had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.
The Civitas survey of 600 registered voters was conducted Sept. 29 and 30 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
Foxx: Tally illegal immigrants
U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx has introduced a bill to require the U.S. Census Bureau to count illegal immigrants.
Foxx's bill would require census takers to try to determine how many of the people living in the nation are illegal immigrants. Currently, the census does not distinguish between citizens or illegal immigrants, according to Foxx's office.
The bill would affect the congressional districts of only a few states.
In an e-mail message to Dome, Foxx spokesman Aaron Groen said Foxx is concerned with the rule of law and fairness.
"Our immigration laws should be respected and enforced and every vote should be of equal value," he said.
States with a high percentage of illegal immigrants are over-represented in Congress. North Carolina has a high number of illegal immigrants, but Groen said it doesn't compare to the percentages in such states as California, Texas, Arizona and Nevada.
Marshall raises early money
Secretary of State Elaine Marshall is touting her early fundraising success as a way to get more money for her bid for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate. In a newsletter to supporters, Marshall's campaign says she raised $180,000 in the two weeks in September after she filed her federal election paperwork. That will pay her campaign expenses through May, the newsletter said.
No house in House district
A candidate to replace former state Rep. Ty Harrell had to withdraw his name, because he doesn't live in the district.
The news surprised Terry L. "Doc" Thorne, because he used to get a lot of campaign literature from Harrell, a Wake County Democrat. Thorne was one of nine candidates seeking appointment to the District 41 seat. Harrell, who resigned amid a State Board of Elections inquiry into his campaign-finance reports, was living outside his district when heresigned.
By staff writer Benjamin Niolet; Jordan Cooke of the Cary News contributed.
