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GREENSBORO — Any voter with a job in North Carolina should care about this race.

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But it's likely that voters know little about the office or who is running, even though Guilford County will drop at least $150,000 on a special election for the candidates June 24.

A runoff is scheduled in the Democratic primary for state labor commissioner because the primary May 6 was too close.

Don't expect a huge turnout, though. In the last state office runoff — the 2004 Democratic superintendent of public instruction race — about 1.5 percent of registered voters, about 4,500, in Guilford County cast ballots.

And voters aren't likely to rush polls this time, according to George Gilbert, Guilford's elections director. His highest estimate is 5 percent voter turnout, which would be about 16,000 voters. Guilford County has about 328,000 registered voters.

"Election officials may well determine the outcome of this race," he said, "Because they'll be at the polls, so why not vote?"

Mary Fant Donnan of Winston-Salem and John Brooks of Raleigh are in the runoff.

The office they want oversees the state Department of Labor, which ensures safe elevators, regulates mines and makes sure workers get paid. The labor commissioner administers the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act for the state and protects the rights of those who file workers' compensation claims.

And though it will cost millions to administer across North Carolina's 100 counties, Brooks likes that the runoff is happening.

That's when reporters actually call the candidates, he said.

"People can begin to learn about what it is important for the commissioner," he said.

And Brooks, who wants to expand the OSHA program in the state, said that the cost is nothing compared to what a well-run worker safety program could do for the state.

As a staff attorney for the N.C. Industrial Commission, Brooks said he sees many times the cost of the election in workers' compensation claims in a week.

"The current staff they have now, if it stays the same, it will not make the inroads in reducing the significant injuries," said Brooks, who was the labor commissioner for 16 years before 1992.

Donnan sees the runoff as a chance to ride the support she had in the primary. She finished first with 27.5 percent of votes. Brooks had 24.3 percent.

Donnan was the director of policy research for seven years under former labor commissioner Harry Payne, who took the seat from Brooks in 1992.

She wants a living wage and a say on how the state recruits businesses.

The General Assembly sets the minimum wage, and the Department of Commerce oversees the state's business recruitment policies.

In the past seven years, Donnan has worked in economic development on the local level for the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation.

"Understanding the grassroots level of work gives me a healthy perspective for the kind of leadership that I can bring to the Department of Labor," Donnan said.

For all that knowledge between the two candidates, it seems that voters approached the polls this month without much knowledge on either one. Neither Donnan nor Brooks led their home counties in voting.

Maybe the second primary will help voters get up to speed.

Contact Gerald Witt at 373-7008 or gerald.witt@news-record.com