A big contingent

North Carolina voters will find plenty of female candidates on the ballot this fall, including two races (for U.S. Senate and state labor commissioner) in which both major candidates are women. Here are the female candidates in statewide races, with their male opponents in parentheses:

DEMOCRATS

U.S. Senate: Kay Hagan (Christopher Cole, Libertarian)

Governor: Beverly Perdue (Pat McCrory, Republican; Michael Munger, Libertarian)

Secretary of State: Elaine Marshall* (Jack Sawyer, Republican)

State Treasurer: Janet Cowell (Bill Daughtridge, Republican)

State Auditor: Beth A. Wood (Les Merritt, Republican*)

State Labor Commissioner: Mary Fant Donnan

Superintendent of Public Instruction: June Atkinson* (Richard Morgan)

REPUBLICANS

Vice president: Sarah Palin (Joe Biden, Democrat)

U.S. Senate: Elizabeth Dole* (Christopher Cole, Libertarian)

State Labor Commissioner: Cherie Berry*

JUDICIAL RACES (NONPARTISAN)

N.C. Supreme Court: Suzanne Reynolds (Bob Edmunds*)

N.C. Court of Appeals (Wynn seat): Jewel Ann Farlow (James Wynn*)

N.C. Court of Appeals (Tyson seat): Kristin Ruth (Sam Ervin IV)

N.C. Court of Appeals (McCullough seat): Cheri Beasley (Doug McCullough*)

N.C. Court of Appeals (Stephens seat): Linda Stephens* (Charles Daniel Barrett)

* DENOTES INCUMBENT