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RALEIGH (AP) - An ongoing quarrel between Attorney General Roy Cooper and State Treasurer Richard Moore may be more than just two agencies vying for power: It could foreshadow a coming Democratic primary to challenge Republican Sen. Richard Burr.

Both Cooper and Moore are among top Democrats mentioned as possible hopefuls for the office as the party begins early planning to expand its margins in Congress. Although both are mum about their future plans, Democratic strategist Gary Pearce said either would make for a strong candidate.

"They both have records. They're both young. They're aggressive," Pearce said. "They obviously both have the drive - the most important quality in a successful candidate."

Just two years ago, Democrats were scrambling to find candidates to run for the Senate, but nobody seemed interested in risking their political career to challenge Sen. Elizabeth Dole - a marquee GOP name with name recognition and a long history in Washington. Then last month, little-known Democratic state Sen. Kay Hagan ousted Dole by a comfortable margin.

With fresh confidence to win North Carolina's federal races, Democrats are eager to field another viable challenger for the Senate, and the party is eyeing Burr's seat to push them closer to a filibuster-proof majority. Burr faces re-election to his seat for the first time in 2010 and is preparing to begin fundraising early next year.

Cooper and Moore already appear to be jostling for recognition. The two have been locked in a protracted turf battle that has played out with embarassing detail in the courts.

As Moore petitioned a Manhatten federal court to be the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit against mortgage giant Freddie Mac, Cooper nudged in, arguing in filings that his colleague didn't have the power to hire attorneys to represent the state without first seeking approval from the attorney general.

A judge denied Moore's bid to lead the way, saying it would not be in the interest of those involved to have Moore "bogged down" with the dispute.

That rift is also playing out in a similar suit filed against Fannie Mae, although a judge in that case hasn't ruled on who will do the lead lawyering.

Burr's longtime political strategist, Paul Shumaker, said its clear that Moore and Cooper are already positioning for the Senate race, rather than vying for power across two state agencies.

"It's more of a political battle about two guys butting heads who want to run for the United State Senate," Shumaker said. "The more the people get into the middle of the fight, the better it is to us. My attitude toward it is: the more the merrier right now."

Moore's legal fight would have allowed him to be at the forefront of a closely watched lawsuit that represents investor anger in the fallout of the subprime mortgage crisis and the financial turmoil that ensured.

Cooper's office notes that North Carolina doesn't need to lead the lawsuit because it will win the same recovery either way.

The judge determined that North Carolina had some $18 million at stake in the suit - more than any of the other plaintiffs.

Moore decided not to seek another term as treasurer and ran for governor this year, but lost in a bitter primary battle with Governor-elect Bev Perdue.

The treasurer said in a statement this week that he's enjoyed serving the people of North Carolina for the past 16 years, and he doesn't know what the future holds.

A political aide to Cooper, strategist Morgan Jackson, said Thursday the attorney general wouldn't comment on his plans.

Pearce wasn't convinced that Burr would be as vulnerable as Dole. He will seek re-election after Democrats go through the scars of two years in near total control of federal government. And he noted that Burr doesn't have the baggage that hurt Dole in her campaign.

"I never underestimate an incumbent, particularly one like Burr who is an attractive candidate himself," Pearce said.