RealClearPolitics, the website that collects polls, has moved North Carolina from the “lean Romney” column back into the “tossup” category. The polls have been all over the map. But the RealClearPolitics polling average still has Mitt Romney at 50.3 percent and President Barack Obama at 46.5 percent.

Two new Republican-leaning polls show the former Massachusetts governor maintaining a more substantial lead.

The Rasmussen Reports poll shows Romney up in North Carolina at 52 percent to 46 percent. That survey was conducted Oct. 25 among 500 likely voters and had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points. Gravis Marketing, which has given Romney far larger leads than any other poll, shows Romney up 53 percent to 45 percent. That survey conducted Oct. 24 surveyed 1,723 likely voters and had a margin of sampling error of 2.4 percentage points.

Public Policy Polling, a Democratic-leaning firm, found the race tied at 48 percent, in a survey of 880 voters it conducted Oct. 23-25. It has a margin of sampling error of 3.3 percentage points.

Grove Insight, which has Democratic ties, showed Obama up in the state at 47 percent to 43 percent. The survey of 500 voters was conducted Oct. 23-24 and had a margin of sampling error of 4.5 percentage points.

The Civitas Poll, which has conservative ties, found Romney at 48 percent and Obama at 47 percent when it polled 600 people Oct. 20-21. Its poll had a 4 percentage point margin of sampling error.

Moving to job at NCSU

Jill Lucas is the new managing editor of the Philanthropy Journal, part of the Institute for Nonprofit Research, Education and Engagement at N.C. State University.

Until Friday, Lucas was spokeswoman for the state Department of Administration. She has worked in the governor’s office and for the Governor’s Highway Safety Program.

Transition plan under way

Gov. Bev Perdue isn’t wasting time preparing for her exit. Her office sent a memo to her two potential successors – Democratic Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton and Republican Pat McCrory – last week saying she is beginning to prepare for the transition of power.

The governor directed her Cabinet agencies to prepare a memo that outlines the agency structure, staff, budgets, programs and related boards and commissions. The deadline: Nov. 7 – the day after the election.

“My goal is to assist the governor-elect in a smooth and orderly transition to better serve the people of North Carolina,” she wrote.

Campaign notebook

If you’re running for state superintendent of public instruction, it’s probably a good idea to double-check the spelling in your news releases. John Tedesco, the Republican challenger, sent out a release Saturday referring to Dan Forest’s “hottly” contested campaign. … Americans for Prosperity is spending $130,000 to send a half-million mailers touting McCrory just days before the election. The two fliers hit two issues that aren’t being discussed much on the campaign trail: medical malpractice and public financing of campaigns. … Candidates for state legislature from southwestern Wake County attended a forum Tuesday in Apex. You can watch it online, thanks to the N.C. Center for Voter Education and the Apex Chamber of Commerce: www.voterradio.com/2012/wakeleg.php. … Second lady Jill Biden and Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden will stump in North Carolina on Sunday. The Bidens will campaign for the ticket in Huntersville and Asheville. … Paul Newby has the backing of the National Federation of Independent Business, a small-business association, the group announced Thursday.

Staff writers Rob Christensen, Lynn Bonner, John Frank, Austin Baird and Craig Jarvis

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