Dalton seeks governor's seat

RALEIGH -- Democratic Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton spent the first full day of his campaign for governor explaining his past as well as his vision for the future.

Seven years ago, as a state senator from a conservative district, Dalton co-sponsored a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage and civil unions. The legislation didn't make any progress under the Democratic leadership at the time. But last year, the Republican-led legislature put a similar measure on the May primary ballot.

In an interview Friday, the Rutherfordton attorney said he would vote against the constitutional amendment and appeared to express regret for his previous effort to put the measure to a vote.

"When I sponsored that bill, I was in a district at that time that very much wanted the opportunity to vote," he said. "And that has never been objectionable to me to let the people vote on something. The more I have examined this ... it is not the right process to mess with the constitution like that.

"Perhaps I was wrong back then," he concluded.

A six-term state senator, Dalton's long voting record is likely to play a role in the Democratic primary election to replace Gov. Bev Perdue, who announced Thursday that she would not seek a second term. The race remains fluid as a number of potential candidates consider whether to enter the wide-open but time-crunched race. State Rep. Bill Faison, an Orange County Democrat, said he will formally enter the race for governor today with an announcement in Greensboro ahead of the state Democratic Party's election kickoff fundraiser.

Dalton plans to attend the fundraiser as he begins to secure the support of top Democratic fundraisers and activists who will fuel his campaign.

Earlier this week, he reported raising about $600,000 for his re-election bid. But he will need much more to match likely Republican nominee Pat McCrory, who banked about $2 million at the start of the year, according to a campaign finance report filed Friday.

Dalton is no stranger to tough elections. In his 2008 campaign for lieutenant governor, he won a Democratic primary and beat Republican state Sen. Robert Pittenger in the general election, despite being vastly outspent and negative attacks labeling him a wasteful spender as a legislative budget writer.

As the state's No. 2 elected official, Dalton presides over the Senate but holds little constitutional power except to interpret rules and vote in the case of a tie. He serves on the boards of education and community colleges, leading an effort to improve science and math curricula. Perdue tasked him to direct a commission that promotes online learning.

Dalton, who served with Perdue for years in the Senate, supports the governor's proposal to increase the sales tax by 3/4 of a penny to better fund education and stop what he calls "undue" cuts from the state budget. "It is something that is logical that will buffer the damage that we are seeing in economic development and education," he said. "I want a solution, so I'm willing to embrace (the tax hike) and do embrace it as a way to solve it."

Republicans oppose the tax increase - pegged at $850 million a year - and suggest Dalton is a Perdue "sequel." "Walter Dalton is confirming his liberal reputation from the get-go," said Scott Laster, state GOP executive director.

"I want to see us move forward," Dalton said. "I think if you look at Pat McCrory and the Republican leadership in this last session, we took steps in the wrong direction."