We're now getting concrete evidence that national money was used in the Wake County school board races to help Democratic candidates retake the board majority.

A new campaign finance report posted today by the Wake County Board of Elections shows that N.C. Citizens for Protecting Our Schools spent $8,418.69 on get-out-to-vote calls to help Democratic school board incumbent Kevin Hill.

The calls were made possible, according to the report, by a $30,000 donation on Oct. 26 from D.C.-based America's Families First Action Fund. The national 501(c)4 group has been called a super PAC that helps Democratic candidates and is heavily backed by labor unions.

Thanks to Columbus Day, voters got today off from receiving new Wake County school board campaign mailers.

The groups that have been sending the various mailers say their pieces have educated voters. But you've also got some carping as well about the pieces.

For instance, Francis DeLuca, head of the conservative Civitas Action, praised his group's mailers while criticizing those sent by the other groups that linked the Republican school board candidates to the Tea Party.

A group whose donors include the N.C. Association of Educators and who has ties to other groups that have been critical of the Republican school board candidates in Wake County is sending out mailers warning about a Tea Party takeover.

This campaign mailer from N.C. Citizens for Protecting Our Schools was sent  to voters in at least four of the Wake school board districts on the ballot. Like the other 527 and 501(c)(4) groups it has ties with, this new mailer charges that the Tea Party is trying to take over Wake County schools.

"The Tea Party is on the Verge of Taking Over Wake County Schools," says the mailer. "YOU CAN STOP THEM ON OCTOBER 11."

Progress NC Action is escalating its rhetoric in the Wake County school board elections by directly asking that people vote against Heather Losurdo.

In their "What That's Smell?" YouTube video posted today, the liberal advocacy group stars "Stinky Tea," their skunk mascot. The video includes images of school board chairman Ron Margiotta, board vice chairman John Tedesco and Losurdo with the words "Say No To A Tea Party Trio: Three Strikes And We're Out"

The video also says "Vote No To Losurdo On October 11th."

Michael Weisel, who has been active in state Democratic Party politics, is the attorney for Progress NC Action, Common Sense Matters and N.C. Citizens For Protecting Our Schools, which have all launched efforts against the Republican school board candidates.

Democrats are continuing to hit the "stop the Tea Party" theme in an attempt to defeat Wake County school board candidates Heather Losurdo and Ron Margiotta.

As noted in today's article, a new mailer appearing in mail boxes Tuesday urges people to request an absentees ballot to stop the Tea Party. It's funded by the same group that paid for the mailers that came over the weekend accusing Margiotta and Losurdo of pushing the Tea Party agenda on Wake schools.

This new mailer says "you can stop the Tea Party without even leaving your couch." It also reads "with absentee balloting, there's no excuse to skip this election and let the Tea Party win."

A group headed by a Raleigh Democratic businessman prominent in the gay community has sent out a Wake County school board campaign mailer urging voters to "vote again Ron Margiotta and the Tea Party agenda."

The front of the mailer charges that board chairman "Ron Margiotta forced the Tea Party agenda on our schools" and says that "on October 11, we can fight back." The wording borders an image of an angry Margiotta standing next to a Raleigh police officer at one of the school board meetings that was disrupted by protesters.

"Wake County School Board Chairman Ron Margiotta is backed by Tea Party radicals with a right-wing agenda that is hurting our public schools," according to the inside of the flier. "This partisan, slash-and-burn agenda is draining resources from our schools  and ruining their reputation. The results of Margiotta's agenda have been devastating — our schools' accreditation is now at risk, and $80 million in federal school funding has been jeopardized."

SEE UPDATE AT END OF POST