Primary elections will begin Tuesday and determine the major party candidates for the November elections.
North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall and state Senator Cal Cunningham are currently polling at the top of a list of hopefuls, that include attorneys Ken Lewis and Marcus W. Williams, retired accountant Susan Harris and former Gaston county Board of Education member Ann Worthy.
Recent polls by Public Policy Polling and WRAL-TV show Marshall with a slight lead over Cunningham, with Lewis polling a distant third. The latest polls show neither Marshall nor Cunningham reaching the 40 percent majority necessary to secure the nomination. Any potential runoff election will be held May 22.
Current Republican incumbent Richard Burr, who holds substantial leads in the polls over other Republican challengers, enjoys a sizeable lead in the poll over both Marshall and Cunningham, according to the Rasmussen polling service.
That same Rasmussen poll reports that 61 percent of North Carolinians oppose the recently passed health care reform, which would likely boost the Winston Salem born senator’s reelection chances in November, and would put a damper on Democratic party hopes to take the seat after Obama and Kay Hagan’s victories in 2008.
U.S. House races in District 13, which covers most of Wake County, and District 4, which covers Orange County and parts of Cary, N.C., are also on the ballot as Republicans vie in both districts for the chance to unseat long time Democratic incumbents Brad Miller and David Price, respectively.
These federal races are not the only ones on the ballot, with numerous local primaries also on the ballot, including many N.C. House seats up for grabs in November, as well as the race for the District 2 county commissioner seat.
A full list of voter information is available at the Board of Elections Web site, www.ncsbe.gov. Early voting opportunities are also possible at five select early voting locations in Wake County, three of which are located in Raleigh.
It is vital for registered voters to search for their particular assigned polling place if they wish to vote on Election Day. The Board of Elections Web site also provides a search engine that will provide any registered voter’s assigned polling place, with accompanying directions to the polling site.
