A political constant for years in Raleigh has been Democratic dominance of the state Senate. Maybe not so much now.

Marc Basnight’s hold on the Senate has relied on a number of old Democratic bulls who kept their seats in tough districts. Now, one of them has announced he won’t run again: John Kerr. And there could be others: Charlie Albertson and R.C. Soles, to name two.

Basnight himself has had a tough year. He lost his wife to cancer. And fire, officially termed arson, burned down his restaurant. Now he faces a tough year of recruiting – or retaining – candidates and raising money.

Some Democrats brag that the North Carolina Senate has been majority Democratic longer than any legislative body in America. I don’t know if that’s right. But Basnight’s team did survive the 1994 Republican tide.

Next year is supposed to be a Democratic year. But Democrats are nervous that they could lose the Senate if they get a few bad breaks. Surprisingly, they seem more worried about the Senate than the House.

Click Here to discuss and comment on this and other articles.