Forsyth County Democrats rallied in downtown Winston-Salem Friday, welcoming U.S. senate candidate Elaine Marshall who made a quick appearance urging a last-minute voting push that will bring "souls to the polls" on Nov. 2. About 100 people met at the Forsyth County Government Center, many wearing candidate T-shirts and carrying political signs. "Prosperity belongs to all if we work for it," Marshall said to the crowd. "We do not believe the budget should be balanced on the backs of the middle class. The millionaires need to pay their fair share." The United States is the wealthiest country in the world, but "we've got to get Americans back to work," she said. Women are entitled to equal pay for equal work, she said. "This is not a women's issue; it's a family issue," Marshall said. Marshall said her opponent, U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, a Republican, is like many politicians who "do one thing in Washington and then come home and say something else." "Burr has millions of dollars but we've got the people," Marshall said, urging hard work between now and Nov. 2 in getting voters to the polls. Marshall has been N.C. Secretary of State since 1996, when she became the first woman ever elected to a statewide executive branch office. Burr is trying to become the first senator to be re-elected to the seat since 1968, when Democratic Sen. Sam Ervin Jr. won re-election to his last term before retiring in 1974. Since then, Democrats and Republicans have swapped the seat five times. The other Senate seat, which was held by Republican Jesse Helms for five terms, was won by Republican Elizabeth Dole in 2002 and Democrat Kay Hagan in 2008.

By Rob Christensen Democratic Senate candidate Elaine Marshall, donning sneakers, was knocking on doors this afternoon in Durham before heading out to the State Fairgrounds. Before heading into the neighborhoods to canvass, she gave a pep talk about about 40 volunteers who gathered behind the Southbank building in downtown Durham. "This election is about who you are going to stand up for: whether you are going to stand up for middle class.. or are you going to to up there for the millionaires and billionaires who ship jobs overseas again and again," Marshall said. She was joined by her former Democratic primary opponent, Durham attorney Ken Lewis. Earlier in the day, she was introduced at the Orange County Democratic Party breakfast by another former rival, former state Sen. Cal Cunningham. Meanwhile, Republican Sen. Richard Burr was working his way toward the Triangle holding rallies in Fayetteville and Goldsboro. He will be in Five County Stadium tonight in Zebulon.

By Joel Burgess The United States needs to help the middle class, not wealthy "deal makers" with its tax policies, U.S. Senate candidate Elaine Marshall said Friday. Marshall, who is up against incumbent Republican Sen. Richard Burr, told the Citizen-Times editorial board she supports repealing tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and that the stimulus was working to create jobs. Marshall, currently N.C. secretary of state, addressed issues from pay inequality for women to today's harsh tenor in politics. She also spoke about her accomplishments as secretary of state, modernizing the system of approving lending documents that once took 100 days and going after makers and importers of counterfeit goods. But she spent much of her time talking about fixing the economy while not balancing the budget "on the backs of middle-class folks." "The gap between the rich and the poor in the last 30 years has grown ever wider and the resolve to do anything about it has grown narrow," Marshall said. Congress faces a decision later this year whether to continue tax cuts enacted under President George W. Bush, which expire Dec. 31. The cuts lowered regular income tax rates and resulted in even lower tax rates for capital gains -- like selling stock at a profit -- and dividends. Burr favors keeping the cuts, saying they would provide marketplace stability and encourage businesses to hire more people. But Marshall said she favors only keeping the tax cuts for the middle class and poor. The wealthy need to pay their fair share, she said, especially "deal makers" who make $1 billion a year in some cases while creating no jobs. "We really have gone to rewarding quick deals and not hard work in this country, and I think that is wrong and our priorities need to change on that," she said. Further adding to the nation's financial burden is the war in Afghanistan, she said. The U.S. should stop spending money on nation-building and withdraw the military as much as possible, she said. The North American Free Trade Agreement, which many have panned as harming U.S. industry and workers, would be "very difficult" to repeal, she said, but should be revisited. China, meanwhile, which imposes strict measures on imports and foreign businesses operating there, was also hurting the U.S. economy but would have to be dealt with more skillfully since they hold much of our debt, she said. Marshall said she opposed the massive aid package for banks but thought the federal stimulus program was working, despite criticism that it has led to a soaring deficit without adding much to private sector jobs. She cited expansions at battery manufacturer Celgard in Charlotte and semiconductor maker Cree in Research Triangle Park. "I do know that stimulus money has helped move those projects forward."