Democrats Compete For Lt. Governor Nomination

The Democratic candidates wanting to be the state's next Lieutenant Governor are working to show voters the differences between them.

Gurnal Scott: State Senator Eric Mansfield and State Personnel Director Linda Coleman still have a lot of work to do as they seek their party's nomination. Public Policy Polling last week showed more than half of likely Democratic voters surveyed have not made up their minds. Coleman says she thinks their choice should be easy.

Linda Coleman: For the past 30 years. I've been a classroom teacher. I've been in an HR career in state government serving in several different agencies. I've been in elected positions. I have a solid record of performance.

But Mansfield can say the same having served as a soldier and a state senator from Cumberland County as well as his everyday work as a doctor and a minister. He says he uses those roles to shape his decisions.

Eric Mansfield: I know when I make a law in Raleigh, I have to come back and look at the face of the people I just made the law about and I have to be able to explain to them why this helps them or hurts them.

On the issues, they say the state's economic recovery is forefront..but how to achieve that is where they differ. Mansfield believes prosperity in large part lies in taking care of small business.

Eric Mansfield: I actually sponsored a bill to make sure that small business corporate tax rates wouldn't be higher than the large corporations because I fundamentally believe that it's the small business which really drives the economy of our state.

Coleman says economic recovery can happen in a three-pronged approach.

Linda Coleman: Jobs and the economy, education and workforce training...and those three pieces just fit together so perfectly.

Some say the Lieutenant Governor's office does not have the profile of being governor or even being in the General Assembly. Each believes they can change that. What these candidates do over the next two weeks of campaigning will decide who gets that opportunity.