WALTER DALTON
Candidate for Governor of North Carolina
Dalton for Governor
Walter H. Dalton (born May 21, 1949) is the 33rd (and current) Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously was a practicing attorney and served six terms in the state senate before his election to the office of Lieutenant Governor in 2008.Dalton is currently running for Governor of North Carolina. He is facing former Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory.
Lieutenant Governor Walter Dalton is a proven leader with a passion for education and innovation and with a track record of getting results for the citizens of North Carolina. Prior to his election as lieutenant governor, Walter Dalton served six terms in the North Carolina Senate, where he was known for his ability to find common-sense solutions to the tough problems facing our state. He was consistently ranked as one of the body’s most effective members.
Early life, education, and law career
Dalton was born in Rutherfordton, Rutherford County, North Carolina. He earned a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1971, and earned a J.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law in 1975.
Dalton worked in the Audit Department of Union Trust Company between 1971 and 1972. He was a law clerk for Woodrow W. Jones, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, between 1975 and 1977. He worked for many years as an attorney based in Rutherfordton, North Carolina. He joined the law firm of Hamrick, Bowen, Nanney & Dalton, LLP in 1977, and left in 2000.
Elections
Dalton represented constituents in Cleveland and Rutherford counties in the North Carolina General Assembly. His district was originally the 37th Senate district, but it was renumbered as the 46th in the redistricting following the 2000 United States Census.
Dalton's legislative career began in 1996 when he challenged freshman incumbent Republican State Senator Dennis Davis. The general election was close, with Dalton being declared the winner by a margin of 50.38%–49.62%, after a recount. Davis tried to win back the seat in 1998, but Dalton won by a larger margin, 54.86%–45.14%. In 2000, he defeated Scott Neisler, 55%–45%.In 2002, he defeated Republican nominee John Weatherly, 52%–45%. In 2004, he defeated Republican nominee Jim Testa, 53%–47%. In 2006, he defeated Republican nominee Wes Westmoreland, 54%–46%.
Tenure
In 2001, Dalton defended spending cuts for higher education. In 2002, he co-sponsored a bill to study allowing illegal immigrants to qualify for in-state tuition. In 2003, as Co-Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Dalton pushed a bill that would raise taxes on cigarettes, beer, wine, and liquor. In 2007, he co-sponsored a bill that would require local governments in the state to release total compensation packages of every government employee. He also sponsored a bill that would require children to receive parental permission before creating social networking profiles and require websites to verify the parents' identities.
Committee assignments
Senate Education Committee (Co-Chairman)
Senate Appropriations Committee (Co-Chairman)
Lieutenant Governor (2009–Present)
Election
Main article: North Carolina lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2008
In 2007, Dalton announced that he would seek the Democratic nomination for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina in 2008. He won the Democratic primary on May 6, 2008, defeating Hampton Dellinger, Patrick Smathers, and Dan Besse. He won the general election on November 4, 2008.
Tenure
Dalton became the founding chairman of the Joining Our Businesses and Schools (JOBS) Commission in October 2009. The commission includes 20 business and education leaders who will work on making high school graduates better prepared for careers. He was also appointed by Gov. Perdue to chair a new task force on logistics.
2012 gubernatorial election
Main article: North Carolina gubernatorial election, 2012
Rasmussen Reports released a poll August 4th Dalton trailing McCrory by 5 points. It is in the middle of other polling that has given McCrory anywhere from a two to 14 point advantage.
Poll Results Leading Up to Election Poll Date Released McCrory Dalton Plus/Minus
In first quarter campaign finance reports Dalton reported raising about $1 million less than McCrory's campaign. Dalton also reported having $670,356.14 cash on hand at the end of the reporting period on April 21st. McCrory reported having $3.1 million.
First Quarter 2012 Fundraising results reported the NC Board of Elections
After first-term Gov. Beverly Perdue announced that she would not seek a second term in 2012, Dalton announced that he would be a candidate for Governor.Ahead of the May 8 Democratic primary, Dalton was endorsed by The Charlotte Observer, which described him as "well-versed in both the legislative and executive branches and in the crucial issues facing the state" and as "battle-tested," making him the strongest general election candidate. The Winston-Salem Journal also endorsed Dalton, writing that he had "considerable success as a legislator and played a major role in launching North Carolina's successful Early College program." Dalton won the May 8 primary, defeating former U.S. Congressman Bob Etheridge and State Representative Bill Faison 46%–38%–6%.
Personal life
Dalton's father, Charles, was also a North Carolina state senator, who died when Walter was 8 years old. His elder sister, Laura, helped their mother, Amanda, raise young Walter. She later became active in Republican politics and married Chuck Neely, a Republican who served in the state legislature and unsuccessfully ran for Governor in 2000.
Lt. Gov. Dalton knows that North Carolina needs strong, steady leadership to guide us to a prosperous future. That’s why he has worked to ensure that our schools prepare our children to compete in a global economy. Lt. Gov. Dalton pushed through legislation to reduce class sizes, bring accountability back to our classrooms and increase teacher pay.
He also authored the Innovative Education Act and created North Carolina’s early college system, which begins to customize learning and offers students an opportunity to get a head start on a good job or a college degree. Students who start the program in the ninth grade can earn a technical degree or complete two years toward a college degree after five years. This program has been recognized nationally by the Gates Foundation and recently was named one of the top 50 innovative programs by Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. As lieutenant governor, Dalton sits on the state boards of education and community colleges.A longtime leader in economic development, Lt. Gov. Dalton has worked to bring new, high-quality jobs to our state and increase the funding for our community colleges and universities. When federal trade policies began sending local manufacturing jobs overseas, Lt. Gov. Dalton fought for the areas that were hardest hit. He pushed for tax incentives that brought new industries into these regions and helped existing companies grow and expand. As a board member of the North Carolina Economic Development Board, he has worked diligently with leaders across the state to find long-term solutions to the problems facing our transitioning economy.
Lt. Gov. Dalton believes every North Carolinian should have the access to quality, affordable healthcare. He led the effort to provide tax credits to small businesses that offer their employees health insurance, and was instrumental in crafting the NC Senior Care program, which made it possible for more than 120,000 seniors to afford the prescription drugs they need.
Lt. Gov. Dalton has worked hard throughout his career to protect our environment and natural resources. Recently, when Chimney Rock, a natural landmark, came up for sale, he successfully led the effort to add it to our state park system. He also successfully fought to preserve and increase the South Mountain State Park, enlarge Lake James State Park, and create Carver’s Creek and Hickory Nut Gorge State Parks.Born in Rutherfordton, Lt. Gov. Dalton graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.S. in Business Administration and a law degree. He built a successful law practice and has been deeply involved in the community. Lt. Gov. Dalton is a lay speaker in the Methodist church, a former Cub Scout leader, and served as board chair of the local community college.
Lt. Gov. Dalton is married to Lucille Hodge Dalton, a former teacher and member of the Rutherford County School Board. In 1998, she was named North Carolina’s school board member of the year, winning the Raleigh Dingman award. Walter and Lucille have been married for the past thirty-nine years and have two adult children, Brian and Elizabeth.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6FZQnoSLNE&feature=player_embedded
