News-Record.com

It's certainly logical for Jim Hunt's name to come up as a possible education secretary with a Democratic administration taking power in Washington.

Based on nothing but guesswork, however, I don't think the former four-term North Carolina governor will be heading to Washington.

One reason: Hunt has been a mentor to North Carolina Gov.-elect Bev Perdue, and she'll need him in Raleigh a lot more than Barack Obama will need him in Washington.

Perdue proclaimed herself the "new sheriff in town," but she's not new, nor has she established her authority to police the very powerful state legislature. If she hopes to make state government as honest and transparent as she promised during her campaign, she'll need some advice on how to manage the mob on Jones Street. Hunt was pretty good at that.

Obviously Hunt had national ambitions earlier in his career. Jesse Helms dashed them in the bruising 1984 Senate battle. Hunt refocused on state interests and won two more terms as governor. No one will ever match his 16 years in that office.

To many in North Carolina, he's still The Governor. He remains very influential in Raleigh, and the next governor can make good use of his experience. I say he stays.