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NC Dem Chief Voller Won’t Run Again

North Carolina Democratic Party Chairman Randy Voller isn’t seeking re-election.  The former Pittsboro mayor made the announcement Saturday at the party executive committee meeting in Chatham County. The committee narrowly elected Voller in 2013 and he has focused on building local party organizations with Democrats in the minority in state government. He has faced criticism over the firing of the party’s executive director and the resignation of the first vice-chairwoman resigned over disagreements.   Current First Vice-Chairwoman Patsy Keever, a former state legislator from Asheville, has said she is seeking Voller's job.

GOP TO CHOOSE NEW HOUSE SPEAKER

House Republicans are still on top at the North Carolina Legislature, but they've got some work to do before extending their control for two more years.  At the top of their list is choosing their nominee for chamber speaker. Returning GOP incumbents and newcomers who won their elections last week were in Raleigh on Saturday for a meeting of the House Republican Caucus.  Unofficial results show Republicans holding 74 of the 120 House seats for the next two-year session starting in January.  Current Speaker Thom Tillis is leaving to join the U.S. Senate, and at least six House Republicans have said they're running to succeed him. Candidates addressed colleagues Saturday, in advance of the Nov. 22 vote to choose a new speaker.  

THREE HURT IN SHOOTING

Charlotte Mecklenburg Police are investigating a shooting in Northwest Charlotte that hurt three men Saturday night. Police were called to a business on Tuckaseegee Road just before 10 o’clock, where they found three men with life-threatening gunshot wounds. All three were taken to Carolinas Medical Center. Police say two of the men were fighting inside the business, when several others came in and began shooting. The shooters then fled.

SHERIFF SAYS GANG MEMBERS ARE MURDER SUSPECTS

Chester County’s Sheriff in South Carolina says members of a gang that has been threatening his office are suspects in the Nov. 4 shooting death of a Chester City council member. Three men have been arrested and one more is being sought in the death of Chester City Councilman Odell Williams, who was shot with an assault rifle. Underwood said he has assigned more deputies to step up patrols while tension is high between gangs and the sheriff's office.

STATE OFFICIALS TRY TO RECRUIT AUTO PLANT

BMW opened its first US auto plant in South Carolina two decades ago and is now planning a one billion dollar expansion there. Seeing that success story may be part of the reason North Carolina officials are working right now to attract a major auto factory to the state. The Charlotte Observer reports that recruiters have assembled big tracts of land and sent teams of marketers to Asia and Europe. The lure is the potential for thousands of jobs. But the newspaper says North Carolina faces stiff competition from other states and Mexico.

ANTHONY FOXX HELPS LAUNCH DAVIDSON CAMPAIGN

Hundreds of alumni and longtime supporters are on the Davidson College campus this weekend as the college kicks off the public phase of its largest fundraising campaign ever. Our news partner DavidsonNews.net reports that on Saturday, former Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx, who is now US Transportation Secretary, helped out with the pitching. The 1993 Davidson graduate didn’t talk about national issues, but about how a Davidson liberal arts education helped him. “You leave here with a different frame of reference than you come, and that frame of reference provides the foundation to solve problems,” Foxx said. Davidson hopes to raise 425 million dollars by the time the campaign ends in 5 years.

SPORTS: PANTHERS AND NASCAR TODAY

A couple of big events are on the sports schedule today. The Carolina Panthers are home at Bank of America stadium at 1 o’clock against the Atlanta Falcons. Neither team has won in recent weeks, but the outcome could determine who leads the NFC south division.

And it’s championship day for NASCAR’s Sprint Cup. The stock car racing season wraps up with a final race at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida, where Kevin Harvick, Denny  Hamlin, Joey Logano and Ryan Newman are in the running for the title. The race begins at 3pm.  

David Boraks previously covered climate change and the environment for WFAE. See more at www.wfae.org/climate-news. He also has covered housing and homelessness, energy and the environment, transportation and business.