Raleigh, NC -- The Republican contest to decide the party's candidate for lieutenant governor is the highest-profile race on the statewide ballot in this month's second primary election.

The contest between former architect Dan Forest and pharmacy owner Tony Gurley has been a clean campaign without a name-calling battle of television ads. The Raleigh residents and rivals agree they're running for the same office, not against each other.

The top campaign issues for both men are jobs, the economy and education. Forest adds illegal immigration, an issue stressed for years by his mother: former Charlotte mayor and retiring U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick.

Gurley has been a Wake County commissioner since 2002 and he thinks voters should consider his track record if they want a trustworthy conservative. Forest has no elected experience.

AP