The immediate aftermath of Gov. Beverly Perdue’s decision not to seek a second term was predictable.

Prominent Democrats in the state quickly began assessing their prospects for stepping into the vacuum.

Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton’s announcement that he would run for governor wasn’t surprising. Dalton, a small town lawyer and longtime legislator from the North Carolina foothills, would have likely been a candidate in 2016 had Perdue sought a second term.

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