Hagan leads Dole in the state (52% to 43%) but trails in Onslow (46% to Dole’s 49%).

Jones, Jr. leads Weber in NC-03 (67% to 32%) and Onslow (60% 39%).

Council of State races looking Democratic in the state, mixed bag in Onslow.

Onslow County Commissioners looking the same: Padgett, Ikner, Jarman, Wright, Midgett.

President: Obama still leads McCain in NC 50% to 48%.

Senate: CNN and MSNBC called Hagan over Dole. Hagan leads 53% to 43%.

NC Governor: Perdue is leading McCrory 50% to 46%

NC-03: Jones, Jr leading over Weber 65% to 35%.

Council of State races looking very Democratic.

Onslow County Commissioners: Padgett, Ikner, Jarman, Wright, Midgett in the lead.

• Obama/Biden (DEM) 44.34% 13,034
• McCain/Palin (REP) 55.02% 16,174

• Kay Hagan (DEM) 46.50% 13,414
• Elizabeth Dole (REP) 49.28% 14,215

• Craig Weber (DEM) 40.22% 11,421
• Walter B. Jones (REP) 59.78% 16,972

• Bev Perdue (DEM) 55.07% 15,872
• Pat McCrory (REP) 41.33% 11,913

• Padgett
• Ikner
• Wright
• Jarman
• Midgett

• FOR 43.26% 11,239
• AGAINST 56.74% 14,744

I’ll be posting frequent updates here (probably every half-hour to hour) and will be Twittering updates as well.

The races I’ll be paying particular attention to are:

• President of the U.S. (like, duh).
• Sen John McCain (R-AZ) and Sen Barack Obama (D-IL). I’m interested in the overall results, of course, but also the specific NC results. I’d love to see my state go blue in a race that matters.
• US Senate
• Sen Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) and State Senator Kay Hagan (D)
• US House
• Congressman Walter B. Jones, Jr (R, NC-03) and Craig Weber (D)
• NC Governor
• Lieutenant Governor Bev Perdue (D) and Mayor Pat McCrory (R)
• Onslow County Commissioner (5 of the 10)
• Democrats:
• Don Sweeting
• Ernie Wright
• Tony Padgett
• William Rouse, Jr.
• John Burns
• Republicans
• Lionell Midgett (Incumbent)
• Paul Buchanan (Incumbent)
• Bill Keller
• Barbara Ikner
• W.C. Jarman
• Onslow County’s Referendum on a 1/4% sales tax increase

The races I’ll be watching from an interested but not-involved-or-overly-invested position:

• US Senate
• AL: Sen Ted Stevens (R) and Mayor Mark Begich (D)
• KY: Sen Mitch McConnell (R) and Bruce Lunsford (D)
• MN: Sen Norm Coleman (R) and Al Franken (D)
• US House
• NC-05: Rep Virginia Foxx (R) and Roy Carter (D)
• NC-08: Rep Robin Hayes (R) and Larry Kissell (D)
• NC-10: Rep Patrick McHenry (R) and Daniel Johnson (D)
• PA-03: Rep Phil English (R) and Kathy Dahlkemper (D)
• California’s Proposition 8 referendum which will disintegrate the rights of same-sex couples to marry.

Is there an important race in your neighborhood?

The Onslow County Board of Elections will have four sites maintained for the early voting period:

• Jacksonville Commons Rec. Center
• Swansboro Middle School Annex
• Tar Landing Baptist Church
• Verona Fire Station

These locations will be open from 8:00am to 5:00pm on weekdays and on Saturday (November 1st) from 8:00am to 1:00pm.

Not only can you vote at the early voting locations, but you can register to vote or change your registration information and then cast your ballot.

There’s no excuse to not vote. Get informed, get registered and go vote.

According to the Jacksonville Daily News report, the audience will be able to submit questions and there may be an opportunity for one-on-one conversations with candidates before the forum.

The forum is open to the public and doors will open at 6 p.m. Questions from the audience will be allowed. Audience members will be asked to write their question on a provided index card, and the questions will be forwarded to the forum moderator for response.

Perhaps I’ll be able to have a few of my questions asked…That the audience will be allowed to submit questions makes the Swansboro event quite a bit better than the October 14th Forum Onslow event of the same nature put on by the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce.

Tip of the reflectively-stickered-bicycle helmet to Jacksonville Daily News managing editor, Cyndi Brown (also known as @Cyndi_Brown) for the heads-up on this.

I’ll be at the forum and hope to see some of you there! Mention BrockNet and you’ll get a prize.

Here are some of the questions I have:

• The Onslow County Board of Commissioners and the City Council of Jacksonville have not been able to work well together in recent years. Would you work to create a better working relationship with Jacksonville’s Council? How so?
• ONWASA has added fees and raised rates for customers without showing a substantial increase in services or construction of new infrastructure. What are your ideas to help reign in ONWASA’s actions? Would you be in favor of stronger oversight of ONWASA?
• Burton Industrial Park has sat mostly unused and is proving to be a bad investment. How would you suggest the County use Burton Park for the betterment of Onslow County residents? How would your lure businesses to the site?
• The City of Jacksonville has developed a public transportation system throughout the city. Would you work with county staff and community leaders to develop a public transportation system throughout Onslow County?
• The City of Jacksonville has recently approved a plan which provides a vision to improve bicycling and pedestrian infrastructure. Would you support a similar plan for Onslow County? What improvements would you recommend for such a plan?

What would you like to add? Put them in the comments and I’ll send them to each candidate and post their responses.

I’d like to know from the candidates how they plan on dealing with ONWASA?

I’ve heard about all the growth speeches I want to hear.  ONWASA is the pick pocket that no one seems to be able to control.  

In case the candidates are unaware, my water charge is $11.23 and the 3/4es water usage charge is $10.19.

I’ve asked ONWASA for an explanation, that didn’t work, so now I’m asking the candidates for both parties before the election.  It will make casting my vote easier.

And it’s a valid question. ONWASA has long charged more for fees related to their expansion projects (which have, so far, resulted in minimal real expansion) than actual water usage.

What solutions do the candidates have? Some candidates have mentioned removing the elected representation from ONWASA’s board.