Lieutenant Governor

We're persuaded that all four Democratic candidates for the state's No. 2 position would—if called on by tragedy—be capable replacements for whoever's elected governor in November. Barring such a circumstance, however, there is only one way to be an effective lieutenant governor, and that is to convince your fellow politicians, and the voters of the state, that you are a plausible candidate to run and win the governor's office in some future election. If so, you can wield some influence from an otherwise nearly powerless post.

It's for that reason that, between the two obvious progressive choices, we support Durham attorney Hampton Dellinger, former legal counsel to Mike Easley in the governor's office and, before that, the attorney general's office. It's a close call over Dan Besse, the Winston-Salem councilman whose record as an environmental activist and policymaker is superb. But Besse insists that he can effectively influence policy from the lieutenant governor's office without holding himself up as a potential No. 1. And frankly, given Besse's wonky, unpolitical style, he's not one. Whereas Dellinger, who could curb his enthusiasm by half and still be a dazzling case of political ambition, will be—should he win—a potential future progressive governor. Imagine that.

Thus, we're not bothered that Dellinger's campaign is all about reproductive rights, affirmative action and his endorsements by such African-American icons as Duke history professor emeritus John Hope Franklin. It's true, much of what he talks about has nothing to do with the lieutenant governor's office. But it has everything to do, as he says, with being a state-level Democratic leader—not to mention that it's aimed squarely at the black and women voters likely to turn out May 6 for the Obama-Clinton showdown.

On state issues from education to health care to the environment and mass transit, Dellinger's positions mirror Besse's, though it's certainly true that Besse has been working at them longer and accomplished a great deal as an appointed member of such policymaking boards as the state Environmental Management Commission. In fact, we almost think Besse would lose influence by being lieutenant governor.

Dellinger's never run for office. But at 40, he's worked in many a campaign, going back to the '90 U.S. Senate run by Harvey Gantt against Jesse Helms. Drawing on his experience and family connections (his father, Duke law professor Walter Dellinger, is nationally known and was U.S. solicitor general in the Bill Clinton administration), he's raised more than $1 million from contributors, which puts him in the same fund-raising league as the presumed front-runner in the race and the choice of the party's pro-business wing, state Sen. Walter Dalton of Rutherford County.

Meanwhile, Besse's done well to raise a six-figure campaign treasury, given that his support comes mainly from environmentalists.

The fourth candidate, Canton Mayor Pat Smathers, is a personable populist but has raised far too little money to wage an effective statewide campaign.

Polling here is of little value—so far, none of the four Democrats are well-known to the voters—but Dalton has recently started TV advertising, and he has a solid record on education issues to sell. From here, it looks like only Dalton and Dellinger have any chance of hitting the 40 percent threshold and winning the primary outright. If that's correct, we'd like to see it be Dellinger.

I'll let this analysis stand for itself. I just wanted to point it out.