Campaign records at the State Board of Elections show the State Employees Association of North Carolina and the association's political action committee have spent at least $144,000 supporting Coleman in her primary with Eric Mansfield. The Service Employees International Union — of which the association is a local — reported $154,000 in independent expenditures to back Coleman.

 

Mansfield wrote to supporters that Coleman had "outsourced" her campaign to a special interest group. Association political director Kevin LeCount says it's disheartening to hear Mansfield's comments because the association built its political committee to support workers.