With four days until the North Carolina primary, many voters are still undecided.  A new Mason-Dixon poll commissioned by WRAL-TV shows the greatest portion of undecided voters in the GOP primary for Lt. Governor.  This poll also found Senator Walter Dalton polling ahead of the Democratic field for his party's nomination in the Lt. Governor race.

"State Sen. Walter Dalton, D-Cleveland, leads among voters who have made up their minds, at 23 percent. Hampton Dellinger, a chief legal counsel for Gov. Mike Easley, is close behind at 17 percent.

Canton Mayor Pat Smathers, a retired lieutenant colonel in the North Carolina National Guard, garnered 9 percent support in the poll, while Dan Besse, a lawyer and former Winston-Salem councilman, is backed by 5 percent."

State Sen. Robert Pittenger, R-Mecklenburg, leads among the GOP candidates, with support of 25 percent of those polled. Tim Cook, a former research scientist from Canton, was backed by 9 percent, while Lexington attorney Jim Snyder and Greg Dority, a former member of the U.N. Security Advisory Board in Albania, each garnered 8 percent support in the poll.

Fifty-two percent of likely GOP voters remain undecided.

WRAL

The Tar Heel primary of 2008 has garnered a wealth of attention because of the race for President on the
Democratic side.  The Democratic race has sucked the oxygen out of the down-ballot contests making organization and name recognition a must for candidates seeking the nomination.

If the polls hold true, a Dalton/Pittenger matchup this fall would be extremely interesting to watch as a political observer.  Both members of the NC Senate with considerable clout in their parties, these two men bring a very different philosophy of government to the table.  Voters would be presented with two highly qualified and respected politicos, who most likely would debate the issues and their merits.