RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The five House Democrats who voted for the final two-year North Carolina government budget said Monday they'd vote to override the historic veto of the spending plan by Democratic Gov. Beverly Perdue.

Three of them said in interviews with The Associated Press they would vote to cancel Perdue's veto, while two others said they would probably do so.

"I supported the budget when we sent it over to the governor, and I plan to probably support now when it comes back," Rep. Tim Spear, D-Washington, said Monday night.

Getting at least four of the Democrats to stick with the House Republicans is key for the new GOP-led Legislature to enact a two-year budget plan over Perdue's objections, which she made official on Sunday when she became North Carolina's first chief executive to veto a budget. That would bring the number of budget supporters to 72 — enough for an override.

"I don't think there's any doubt that her veto will be overridden," said Rep. Jim Crawford, D-Granville, who also said he would probably vote to override.

Perdue said Sunday she vetoed the GOP-penned budget because it would result in "generational damage" in public education, health care and public safety and leave the impression that North Carolina was going backward. At least 13,000 public education positions would be eliminated, according to state education officials. Republicans say the number is exaggerated.

The governor pointed out only two lawmakers, whether Democrats or Republicans, could change their minds, to uphold the veto. She and her allies may still have time to change minds — House Republican leadership scheduled an override vote for Wednesday. Perdue is North Carolina's first chief executive to veto the budget.

"I'm hopeful that somebody — it just doesn't have to be the five Democrats ... will vote with me to veto this budget," Perdue said.

The Senate's Republican majority is veto-proof. An override would set the stage for the Republican-led Legislature to adjourn its regular annual session as early as Friday.

Other Democratic Reps. Bill Owens of Pasquotank County; Bill Brisson of Bladen County; and Dewey Hill of Columbus County each said in separate interviews they would vote to override Perdue. Owens, a fundraiser for Perdue's 2012 re-election campaign, said he simply disagreed with the governor on the budget issue, and nothing else.

Owens and the other four accepted the final plan when Republicans added about $300 million for the public schools and another $100 million for the University of North Carolina system next year. Owens said it's not a perfect budget but said allowing the veto to stand would lead to protracted negotiations and potentially a shutdown of state government. The new fiscal year begins July 1.

"I'm scared of what could happen," Owens said. "I just don't think I'm willing to take a gamble."

Brisson said Republicans were never going to accept extending any part of a penny sales tax increase started in 2009 and expected to expire in June 30. Perdue's budget proposal requested that three-quarters of penny would stay in place, generating more than $800 million. Legislative Democrats, teachers and civil rights groups have pleaded for the penny to remain to prevent the budget cuts.

Brisson said enacting this budget is the only way to keep this year's legislative session on pace to adjourn at a reasonable time.

Otherwise, he said, "all we're going to do is stay here until December fussing and fighting and ending up with the same thing."

Perdue and her allies on Monday kept pressing on the five renegade Democrats to side with Perdue and spare her a political defeat. Perdue scheduled a visit Monday afternoon to suburban Charlotte to meet with education leaders in several counties. The North Carolina Association of Educators also planned Wednesday to rally at the Legislative Building in Raleigh.

The Rev. William Barber, president of the state chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, led a group to meet with Owens in his legislative office late Monday afternoon.

Perdue's veto of "the cruel budget is a veto of principle. The morally flawed budget sent to her betrayed our children, our elderly, minorities, the poor and the out of work," Barber said in a written statement early Monday. "Gov. Perdue has chosen the high road. Who will join her?"

The state chapter of Americans for Prosperity urged members to e-mail their lawmakers to support the override, saying the temporary taxes pushed by Democrats two years ago need to end. "Even if Governor Perdue won't keep her promise to let the taxes expire, legislators should keep it for her," the group said.

The five Democrats have received hundreds of calls in past several days urging them to protect or overturn Perdue's veto.