It's been said Labor Day is the traditional start of the political season.
This year, Memorial Day is the more suitable benchmark holiday for North Carolina's campaigns.
The governor's race didn't let up after the May 8 primary christened Democratic Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton and Republican Pat McCrory as nominees.
More than $1 million already have been spent on television ads by outside groups opposed to one of the candidates. McCrory's campaign and political committees favoring Dalton have filed competing lawsuits over one commercial.
Millions are being spent on presidential campaign ads in North Carolina, which is considered a battleground state.
Eight statewide or congressional primary runoffs set for July 17 also will keep politics in the news into the summer.
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