This year's race for N.C. attorney general pits Tar Heel against Tar Heel, as alumnus Joe Knott takes on fellow UNC graduate Roy Cooper.
Cooper, the incumbent, was first elected to the office in 2000 after 14 years in the N.C. General Assembly.
"The attorney general is really proud of the way his office has fought crime, protected consumers and protected the environment," said William McKinney, spokesman for Cooper's campaign.
During his four-year tenure, Cooper has emphasized the use of DNA evidence to solve crime and has more than tripled the number of DNA analysts working in labs.
Cooper also supported the anti-spam "do not call" list and launched an initiative to battle identity theft.
Cooper's detractors say he is too focused on his political future and seeks to follow in his predecessor's footsteps. Gov. Mike Easley went on to become chief executive after serving eight years as attorney general.
McKinney said Cooper has no plans right now to run for governor. "He is focused on being attorney general. There is a lot to do there, and he will continue to focus on it in his second term."
Knott, Cooper's Republican opponent, said he was motivated to run because of what he views as increasingly partisan practices within the attorney general's office.
"My perception was that the office was being used for political purposes," said Knott, adding that Cooper's political ambitions hinder his ability to do the job well.
Knott has been a litigation partner of Knott, Clark, Berger & Whitehurst since 1985 and a member of the N.C. State Bar since 1980. He also served for four years as an assistant U.S. attorney.
"The attorney general is sort of the policeman for the other branches of government," he said.
"Your (political) career demands that you endear yourself to the people you are supposed to be policing."
This is what concerns Knott the most - the state's top cop pandering to politically powerful members of the legislature.
He points to problems with the passage of a bill to further DNA testing, which he views as essential to fighting crime.
"I think using DNA is a very fine thing," Knott said. "However, (Cooper) has 20,000 files of DNA that have been sitting around his office unanalyzed because he did not get the money from the legislature."
Knott said he would take a more aggressive approach by mentioning representatives by name that refused to provide more funding, making them more accountable to the people.
He also said voters would not simply be trading one set of ambitions for another:
"I am not a politician. ... I have no (political) aspirations."
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
