GOP leadership in state Senate faces a challenge

Two Republican state senators are challenging their party's Senate leader for his job in a vote next weekend.

Sen. Bob Rucho of Charlotte and Sen. Peter Brunstetter of Winston-Salem plan to run against Sen. Phil Berger of Eden, the current Senate Republican leader. Berger is seeking a third term in the post.

The GOP caucus is scheduled to meet and vote on its leadership team Dec. 7 in Greensboro.

The challenge to Berger comes despite Republicans' gain of one Senate seat in this year's election, pushing back against a national Democratic tide that pummeled Republicans elsewhere and in other N.C. races. Next year, Republicans in the state Senate will hold 20 seats, to Democrats' 30 seats.

"We're the only Republican legislative caucus in the nation that's in the minority in a state Obama carried and still picked up seats," Berger said.

He and Sen. Tom Apodaca, of Hendersonville and the deputy Republican leader, have headed the caucus since 2004.

Rucho, who once roomed with Berger in Raleigh, is retiring from his dental practice next month. He said he will have more time to devote to a leadership position, particularly raising the money that Republicans lacked in this year's campaigns.

"We just can't afford to continue to lose by 3 to 1 in fundraising," Rucho said.

Brunstetter said it's natural for the caucus to talk about new leadership every two years and especially after the GOP has taken a beating nationally.

"The question is not what happened in 2008," Brunstetter said, "but what needs to happen in 2010."

Correction chief is retiring

Correction Secretary Theodis Beck will not be joining Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue's administration.

Beck is retiring effective Feb. 1, after nearly 10 years as the top official in the state's prison and probation system.

The department is one of the state's largest, with roughly 20,000 employees who oversee 37,000 inmates and 125,000 probationers or parolees. The department's budget is about $1 billion.

Beck began his career as a probation and parole officer in 1975. He has served as director of the Division of Adult Probation and Parole and as a deputy secretary in charge of the divisions for prisons and community corrections.

Beck has overseen tremendous growth in the prison system, with several new prisons built during his tenure.

He is currently working to fix a probation system under fire, after the killings of two Triangle-area college students raised questions about how well probation officials are keeping track of offenders.

Obama adviser has Tar Heel ties

Another top adviser to President-elect Barack Obama has Tar Heel ties.

Cassandra Q. Butts has not been appointed to any official posts within the Obama administration yet, but she has known the president-elect since they applied for financial aid at the same time at Harvard Law School.

A profile in The New York Times said she is "a utility-infielder player with wide breadth in a number of areas" who could be in charge of legal advice or personnel for the president.

Butts moved to Durham when she was 9 years old. She earned a bachelor of arts in political science from UNC-Chapel Hill. Her first job was as a counselor for the Durham YMCA, and after college she worked for a year as a researcher with the African News Service in Durham.

She also has worked for the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank that employs Elizabeth Edwards and Obama's top domestic policy adviser.