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WALTER DALTON

Democrat

Current office: State senator.

Birthdate: May 21, 1949.

Birthplace: Rutherfordton.

Lives in: Rutherfordton.

Spouse: Lucille Dalton.

Education: Bachelor of science in business administration, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1971; juris doctorate, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1975.

Occupation: Attorney.

Political career: State Senate, 1996-present.

Web site: http://www.walterdalton.org/

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

As co-chairman of Senate education committee, helped push through legislation to reduce class sizes and increase teacher pay. Dalton also sponsored the Innovative Educational Initiatives Act. Dalton also pushed for additional funding to the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center to fund a cancer assessment and prevention program and further cancer research in North Carolina.

ISSUES

Protecting children: Ban the use of social networking sites by sex offenders, increase penalties for sexual exploitation of minors.

Economy: Expand the Home Protection Pilot Program, which gives loans to workers who lose jobs.

TRIVIA

Dalton helped arrange and fund the purchase of Chimney Rock Park by the state and its protection as a state park in 2007. ... Dalton holds the state Senate seat once held by his father, Charles Dalton.

Election questionnaire

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ROBERT PITTENGER

Republican

Current office: State senator.

Birthdate: Aug. 15, 1948.

Birthplace: Dallas.

Lives in: Charlotte.

Spouse: Suzanne Pittenger.

Education: Bachelor of arts in political science and psychology, University of Texas, 1970; Kennedy School of Government Executive Program, Harvard University, 2004.

Occupation: Former real estate investor.

Political career: State Senate, 2002-present.

Web site: http://www.robertpittenger.com/

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Has recently written and supported legislation to offer merit-based pay to school employees, require passports from non-U.S. citizens to prevent illegal immigrants from obtaining driver's licenses and reform medical malpractice laws.

ISSUES

Illegal immigration: Require passports for non-U.S. citizens to acquire driver's licenses, deny state economic incentives to companies that hire illegal immigrants, allow state agencies to assist with deportation.

Education: Remove cap on number of state charter schools, provide income tax credits for families that don't send children to public school, allow school boards to consider performance when raising teachers' salaries.

Taxes: Place constitutional limits on size of state government, eliminate all tax incentives to businesses, repeal estate and gift taxes.

Health care: Reform medical-malpractice laws, establish a trust fund for retirees to cover rising health care costs.

Military: Give dependents of soldiers killed in action in-state tuition if stationed in North Carolina.

TRIVIA

Pittenger and gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory are both from Charlotte. This election is the first time in recent years that one party's candidates for governor and lieutenant governor come from the same city.

Election questionnaire

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PHILLIP RHODES

Libertarian

Birthdate: July 1973.

Birthplace: Wilmington.

Lives in: Chapel Hill.

Education: Associate degree, Brunswick Community College, 1995; attended University of North Carolina at Wilmington; associate degree in computer programming, Wake Technical Community College, 2004; degree in high performance computing, Wake Technical Community College, 2006.

Occupation: Software engineer.

Political career: First run for office.

Web site: http://www.philrhodes2008.com/

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

After receiving his North Carolina Fire and Rescue Commission certification as a Fire Instructor II, Rhodes was active in teaching firefighting classes for Brunswick Community College.

ISSUES

Opposes forced annexation.

Opposes the REAL ID Act (national identification cards).

Says buying jobs from out of state and using money taken from our own people does nothing but transfer money out of our state, force local business owners to fund their own competition and harms small business.

Does not favor secession but says the North Carolina constitution should not prohibit it.

TRIVIA

Volunteered with the Michael Badnarik for President campaign in 2004. 

Election questionnaire