Sen. Dan Blue

Wake County Democratic Party officials have selected Rep. Dan Blue as the successor to the seat of Sen. Vernon Malone, who died last month. By law, Gov. Beverly Perdue must follow the group's wish to appoint Blue, D-Wake. The 59-year-old Blue became the first African American Speaker of the House in 1991, a position he held until the Democrats lost control in 1995. He gave up his House seat in 2002 for an unsuccessful run for the U.S. Senate, then was reappointed in 2006 to fill the seat left vacant by the death of Rep. Bernard Allen.(THE NEWS & OBSERVER, 5/06/09).