Mack Paul announced today that he’s resigning as chairman of the Wake County Democratic Party.

Paul, who has been chairman since September 2010, said he’s stepping down as of Dec. 31 to refocus on his family and his legal work. He said also wants work on the statewide and Presidential races next year.

His tenure is ending with Democrats regaining the majority on the Wake County school board and the party’s candidates winning the mayoral races in Raleigh and Cary and several Raleigh City Council contests.

Wake County Democratic Party Chairman Mack Paul is calling Tuesday's election results "truly a victory for all of us in Wake" and "the beginning of the end of the Tea Party movement."

In an email message today to Democrats, Paul thanks his party members for their efforts in the school board races and the municipal elections. He also touts the success of the well-funded coordinated campaign that the party used this year to boost get-out-the-vote efforts for its candidates.

"Kevin Hill's victory seals the deal on the Wake County Board of Education," Paul writes. "For the first time in two years, we will have consensus driven, sensible, pragmatic, principled and experienced leaders in the majority. They will work to deliver plans and policies that make sense for all of our children."

Wake County Democratic Party Chairman Mack Paul is telling his members today that they "can complete the job begun October 11 when voters rejected Ron Margiotta and John Tedesco's vision for education."

In an email message today to Democrats, Paul urges District 3 voters to go to the polls to back Kevin Hill. He asks people who aren't eligible to vote "to call or email five friends who can and encourage them to head to the polls."

"Today, in North Raleigh, we can complete the job begun October 11 when voters rejected Ron Margiotta and John Tedesco's vision for education," Paul writes. "With a vote for Kevin Hill, we can finally end the division and rancor of the last two years and move our schools forward once again.

Voters will be able to say that they value 35 years of education experience, principled leadership and a real vision for our schools when they vote for Kevin Hill."

Pat McCrory, the former Charlotte mayor and likely Republican gubernatorial candidate next year, has endorsed Wake County school board candidate Heather Losurdo.

In a robocall today McCrory is making to voters today, he asks voters to "reject untrue, negative personal attacks, and vote on the serious issues." He also says that Losurdo "is the only candidate committed to this non-partisan (student assignment) plan moving schools forward."

Here's the text of the robocall:

SEE UPDATE AT END OF POST FOR DEMOCRATIC RESPONSE TO MCCRORY'S ROBOCALL

Wake County Democratic Party Chairman Mack Paul charges that school board candidate Heather Losurdo "flipped flopped her position" on the new student assignment plan.

In a press release today, Paul notes how as late as Oct. 14 she told WTVD that "There are too many questions for me right now, if I were on the board, to pass the plan." Paul accuses her of changing her position "in a desperate bid to save her lagging campaign."

"The need for an issue to turn Losurdo's campaign around was the only question that was answered for Heather Losurdo in the few days between her interview and the Board vote," Paul says in the press release.

Now who are Ann and John Campbell, the people who've donated some $50,000 to help elect the new Democratic candidates to the Wake County school board?

As noted in today's article by John Frank, the Campbells aren't talking. Neither are their friends or associates.

"Their involvement is more about policy than politics," said Dan Blue III, a close friend of John Campbell who used to work him. He refused to talk more about the Campbells, calling them "private citizens" who don't want the spotlight.

Local Democrats are pulling out all the stops to help Wake County school board member Kevin Hill defeat Heather Losurdo in the runoff election.

As noted in today's article, you've got groups like Common Sense Matters hiring The Strategy Group, a Washington political consulting firm, to develop mailers attacking Losurdo. Past clients for this firm include President Barack Obama, former Chicago Mayor Richard Daley and current Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

You've also got the Wake County Democratic Party mounting, for them, an unprecedented field operation in an off-year election.

Democrats are now using Wake County school board vice chairman John Tedesco as a campaign issue to help boost Kevin Hill's re-election bid over Heather Losurdo.

In an e-mail message today to Democrats, Wake County Democratic Party Chairman Mack Paul writes that "if Heather Losurdo wins, it means John Tedesco ascends to the chairmanship of the Wake County School Board."

In writing about what Tedesco's elevation to chair would mean, Paul rips into Tedesco for his Tea Party remarks about "bringing conservative values to education.” Paul also brings up Stephen Colbert's satirical attack on Tedesco on Comedy Central.

Wake County Democratic Party Chairman Mack Paul is accusing school board candidate Heather Losurdo of not caring about schools and being guided by her ambition in requesting a runoff against incumbent Kevin Hill.

In a message today to party members, Paul writes about how the $150,000 that could be spent on holding the runoff "represents more than $3,000 per vote that separated Kevin Hill from the outright majority that would have closed the door on the contentious school board conflicts of the last several years."

Paul says that $150,000 "could pay the salary of school employees and teachers who are now being threatened with layoffs due to budget cuts. It could mean the difference between a hard working janitor cleaning the classroom or a teacher having to pull double duty and cleaning after teaching all day."

Look for a battle over the next month to influence voters in Wake County's school board District 3 runoff election.

But as noted in today's article, you've got some questions in the meantime. One, should Heather Losurdo ask for a runoff? Two, would it have made a difference if the Wake County Republican Party had backed Jennifer Mansfield instead of Losurdo to run against Kevin Hill?

On the first question, it's not a surprise that Democrats say they'd hope Losurdo would refrain from asking for the runoff.

CORRECTION

The high-end estimate for a runoff is $150,000.