Edwards briefs a swarm of supporters

Former U.S. Sen. John Edwards held a national meeting with political supporters last week as he continues to edge closer to a 2008 presidential bid. Several hundred people from 30 states gathered at the Omni Shoreham hotel for a day of briefings on Edwards' activities and discuss his plans for the future.

"He said what he said previously," said Kim Rubey, an Edwards spokeswoman, "that he is seriously considering a run but hasn't made any decisions."

The event attracted many of Edwards' core supporters from his 2004 presidential and vice presidential run and some new faces. Among those who attended were Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts; former Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes of Texas; U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah of Philadelphia; Kate Michelman, the former head of NARAL; Bruce Raynor, the president of UniteHere, a major textile union; Jim Wallis, a religion writer and editor; Leo Hindrey, a cable industry executive and major Democratic donor; and Fred Barron, a Dallas trial lawyer who was Edwards' finance chairman in 2004.

Among the North Carolinians attending were Raleigh attorney Ed Turlington, who was Edwards' campaign chairman in 2004; former U.S. Rep. Eva Clayton; and Julius Chambers, a former chancellor at N.C. Central University. Edwards held a separate meeting with the Democratic congressmen from North Carolina.

The event included briefings on Edwards activities, including his anti-poverty center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, his campaign for raising the minimum wage and his work on the Council of Foreign Relations.

Edwards will be on the west coast Friday, speaking in Portland to the National Organization of Black Elected Legislative Women.

He will also travel to Seattle for the annual Gnomedex conference, which deals with podcasts and other new technologies.

Swindell may run

State Sen. A.B. Swindell, a three-term lawmaker from Nash County, is considering running for lieutenant governor in 2008.

Swindell, 60, said he is being encouraged to run, and will look at the race if he is re-elected to his Senate seat in November. "When folks suggest that," Swindell said, "its certainly intriguing. It's a heckuva honor to have friends who think of that."

Swindell comes from a political family. His father, Russell Swindell, was a lobbyist and lawmaker. A.B. Swindell was an aide to former U.S. Rep. Tim Valentine and later worked as a legislative lobbyist.

A number of Democrats are looking at running for lieutenant governor because Democratic Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue is expected to run for governor.

Others looking at the race include state Sen. Walter Dalton of Rutherfordton, state Rep. James Harrell of Elkin, and Pat Smathers, the mayor of Canton.

On the Republican side, Ed Broyhill, a Winston-Salem businessman, is looking at running.

Although the lieutenant governor's post does not have much institutional power anymore, it has served as a launching pad. Every lieutenant governor since the early 1960s has run for governor.

Poll ranks candidates

A new poll from the Raleigh-based Civitas Institute provides a glimpse of how some of the possible 2008 Democratic candidates for governor are faring.

Yes, it's early to focus too much on 2008, but the possible candidates are moving around the state now -- and raising millions.

Asked which Democrat would get the vote in 2008 for governor, the outcome was:

* Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue, 16 percent

* State Treasurer Richard Moore, 11 percent

* Attorney General Roy Cooper, 9 percent

* State Rep. Bill Faison, 2 percent

* None, 19 percent

* Not sure, 43 percent

The poll of 800 voters statewide, including Democrats and Republicans, was conducted June 12-15. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 percentage points.