• Set your DVRs and check your local listings: Esquire Network’s “The Runner-Up,” highlighting “American Idol” runner-up Clay Aiken’s unsuccessful bid to unseat 2nd District Republican U.S. Rep. Renee Ellmers, is set to debut April 7.
• State Democrats want to have their ducks in a row in case former U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan chooses not to run next year against incumbent Republican Richard Burr. Roll Call reports that the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has reached out to state Treasurer Janet Cowell as a backstop if Hagan sits out the race. Others mentioned include state Senate Minority Leader Dan Blue, Sen. Jeff Jackson, and former state Rep. Grier Martin.
• Long-time U.S. Rep. Walter Jones, R-3rd District, will face at least one opponent in the 2016 GOP primary. Phil Law, a veteran of the Marines and a Hewlett-Packard supervisor, said he’ll challenge Jones. Taylor Griffin, who gave the 10-term incumbent a solid contest in 2014, reportedly is considering a rematch.
• Two proposals from House Minority Leader Larry Hall, D-Durham, unraveling parts of the election reform law enacted last year, are likely to go nowhere in the legislative session. One measure would restore a 17-day early voting period during primary and general election campaigns; the period was shortened to 10 days, but hours were extended so that voters would have the same amount of time to vote. The second would allow student IDs to be counted as acceptable voter identification at the polls. The bills were sent to the Rule Committee, where proposals not favored by the chamber’s leaders often die.
