Outside money pours into 8th District

The 8th Congressional District was already one of the biggest recipients of outside money in North Carolina. Now it's one of the biggest in the country.

Today a group called the American Action Network is dropping $300,000 into TV ads targeting Republican Scott Keadle. He faces Richard Hudson in Tuesday's GOP runoff. The Network is one of two party establishment groups helping Hudson, a former Capitol Hill staffer, in the runoff.

The YG Action Group, associated with House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, has poured in more than $400,000 on Hudson's behalf this month alone.

But Keadle isn't defenseless.

The Club for Growth has spent around $700,000 on ads supporting him and opposing Hudson.

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, only three districts in the country have seen more outside spending.

Pittenger gives his campaign $1.1 million

Republican Robert Pittenger has put at least $1.13 million into his 9th District congressional campaign, a new report shows. That makes the total he raised through mid-April $1.4 million. That's four times as much as his nearest GOP rival in the 10-man primary.

Pittenger, a real estate invester, put another $150,000 in his campaign in April. The money has allowed him to run an aggressive media campaign on TV and radio and put glossy mailers into the homes of many GOP voters.

He's not the only one giving or loaning himself money. State Rep. Ric Killian loaned his campaign $101,000. Financial consultant Edwin Peacock took out a $249,999 home equity loan. And insurance executive Dan Barry put in nearly $74,000.

Pittenger had more cash on hand -- $451,000 -- in mid-April than any other candidate had raised in the whole campaign.

And Monday the first Super Pac weighed in on the 9th District race. The Washington-based

Citizens for Conservative Leadership spent $6,600 on a mailer opposing former Sheriff Jim Pendergraph, a frequent target of Pittenger's ads.

That's still far short of the $371,000 independent groups have spent in the GOP primary in the neighboring 8th District. Most has come from the Club for Growth, which supports dentist Scott Keadle.

Independent groups spend big for Keadle in 8th

Only three independent groups have been active in North Carolina congressional races this year. Two of them are involved in the 8th District Republican primary.

The two independent groups have spent more than $118,000 on behalf of Mooresville dentist Scott Keadle.

On Friday the American Dental Association reported spending $11,000 on a phone survey for Keadle.

The conservative Club for Growth has spent more than $107,000 on his behalf, much of it on TV buys and direct mail.

The independent spending is a boost to Keadle. A report filed this week showed he's loaned himself $250,000. He's among five Republicans running for the seat held by Democratic Rep. Larry Kissell.

The biggest independent group operating in North Carolina has been a super PAC called the American Foundations Committee. It's spent $366,715 on behalf of former U.S. Attorney George Holding in his 13th District race against Wake County Commissioner Paul Coble.

The News & Observer reports that the super PAC is funded mainly by members of the Holding family.

Steen jumps into Kissell race with legislative support

N.C. Rep. Fred Steen of Rowan County will become the latest Republican in the increasingly crowded race for Democratic U.S. Rep. Larry Kissell's seat when he announces tomorrow in Landis.

Joining Steen will be a dozen fellow GOP legislators, including at least one reported to have considered the congressional race himself.

Steen will enter the race Thursday morning in front of Landis town hall, where he served five terms as mayor.

Among the lawmakers expected to be at his side: Rep. Justin Burr of Albemarle, once himself mentioned as a candidate for the 8th District seat.

Steen will become the sixth candidate to announce for the seat. He'll join Dan Barry, Richard Hudson, Scott Keadle, Vernon Robinson and John Whitley.

Ulysses S. Grant: A 10th District issue?

Even Ronald Reagan is controversial in the 10th District Republican primary.

U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry proposed putting the former president's picture on the $50 bill, bumping that of Ullyses S. Grant after more than 80 years.

“President Reagan was a modern day statesman, whose presidency transformed our nation’s political and economic thinking,” McHenry said in a statement. "In polls of presidential scholars, President Reagan consistently outranks President Grant.... one such poll of bipartisan scholars which ranked President Reagan 6th and President Grant 29th."

McHenry's idea got some media attention. But at least one of his opponents doesn't think much of it.

“As much as we all admire President Reagan, I seriously question why Mr. McHenry thinks this is a priority when nearly one in five people are out of work,” says Mooresville Republican Scott Keadle. “... McHenry should focus on the economy and the unemployment rate instead of pandering to voters.”

Make that two rivals with more cash than McHenry

Turns out Republican U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry has two GOP challengers with more money.

Since we reported today that Scott Keadle has more on hand than McHenry, rival Vance Patterson also has weighed in. His new FEC report shows that like Keadle, he has loaned his campaign $250,000.

Patterson, a Burke County businessman, showed nearly $248,000 on hand. That compares to almost $260,600 for Keadle and $149,000 for three-term incumbent McHenry.