Pat McCrory told the N.C. Family Policy Council in March that the lottery law should be repealed.

A candidate questionnaire from the conservative group asked, "Should the law that authorizes a state sponsored lottery in North Carolina be repealed?"

McCrory answered "Yes," according to the group's Web site. He then elaborated: "Repeal would be good but difficult since money has already been committed and budgeted for future years."

McCrory, the Republican nominee for governor, drew heat Wednesday for that answer. Democratic rival Beverly Perdue's campaign said rolling back the lottery would create a $350 million hole in the state's education budget, David Ingram reports.

McCrory's campaign said it is preparing a response. In another past statement about the lottery, McCrory criticized its merits but stopped short of calling for repeal.

In late April or early May, he told the N&O: "The political reality is they've already committed the money to the lottery and it's going to be very difficult to return back to the days when we weren't dependent on revenue which I think is preying primarily on the poor and the others who think there is a free ride."

There should be some limited advertising, McCrory said then. He also said he would support limiting the times television ads can be shown.

"I need to study what the ramifications are of changing it. I was dissappointed in the way it was implemented."

All but one of the five GOP candidates for governor supported repeal. Elbie Powers did not. Perdue did not answer the questionnaire, but she has supported the lottery and cast the tying vote in the N.C. Senate in favor of it.

Pat McCrory and Fred Smith are in a statistical dead heat in the Republican race for governor.

According to Public Policy Polling's latest survey, McCrory, the mayor of Charlotte, leads Smith, a state senator, by four points. The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 points.

Salisbury lawyer Bill Graham had six percent and former Supreme Court justice Bob Orr had five percent. Crop duster and pecan grower Elbie Powers had one percent.

PPP surveyed 662 likely Republican primary voters on May 3rd and 4th.

Fred Smith is cutting into Pat McCrory's lead.

According to a recent tracking poll by Democratic firm Public Policy Polling, McCrory is ahead by five points with 36 percent, followed by Smith at 31 percent in the Republican gubernatorial primary.

Bill Graham had 6 percent; Bob Orr, 5 percent; and Elbie Powers, 1 percent. Twenty-one percent were undecided.

"It seems pretty clear that Fred Smith's attacks on Pat McCrory are starting to have an effect,” said president Dean Debnam in a statement. "The question now is whether they may have started too late."

The automated survey of 622 likely Republican primary voters was conducted on April 26-27. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.

Pat McCrory and Fred Smith continue to lead the pack in the Republican primary for governor, according to the latest survey results from Public Policy Polling.

PPP surveyed 602 likely Republican primary voters on April 19-20. It found that McCrory was the favorite of 36 percent of those polled, while Smith was the choice of 29 percent. The margin of error was plus or minus 4.0 percentage points.

Bob Orr was the choice of 7 percent, Bill Graham was the choice of 5 percent and Elbie Powers was the choice of 1 percent.

Pat McCrory leads by 10 points in the latest poll.

The weekly tracking poll by Democratic firm Public Policy Polling showed the Republican gubernatorial candidate leading at 36 percent, followed by state Sen. Fred Smith at 26 percent.

Salisbury attorney Bill Graham had six percent, former Supreme Court justice Bob Orr five percent and pecan farmer Elbie Powers had 1 percent.

"This race is getting away from Fred Smith fast,” said president Dean Debnam. "With just four weeks left until the primary he needs to decide whether he’s going to make a significant investment in television advertising or not. If he doesn't, Pat McCrory is in great position to win the race without a runoff."

The automated survey of 720 likely Republican voters was conducted on April 5th and 6th. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.7 percent.

The firm polled registered voters who cast ballots in the 2000, 2002, 2004, or 2006 primary elections.

Pat McCrory has regained a narrow lead over Fred Smith.

According to a recent tracking poll by Public Policy Polling, the Charlotte mayor was favored by 27 percent of likely voters, followed by the state senator at 24 percent.

Salisbury attorney Bill Graham had 8 percent, and former Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr, 7 percent. Pecan farmer Elbie Powers picked up 1 percent.

"With each passing week it becomes more and more clear that this is going to be a race between Pat McCrory and Fred Smith," said Dean Debnam, president of Public Policy Polling.

In the last tracking poll, Smith and McCrory were tied at 29 percent.

The poll also found 54 percent of Republican voters could change their mind between now and the election.

The Democratic polling firm conducted an automated survey of 551 likely Republican primary voters on March 24. The margin of error is plus or minus 4.2 percent.

Pat McCrory and Fred Smith are leading the pack in the Republican gubernatorial primary, according to the latest results from Public Policy Polling.

PPP surveyed 553 likely Republican primary voters on March 17. The results showed that McCrory and Smith were each the choice of 29 percent of those surveyed. Bill Graham was the choice of 8 percent, Bob Orr was favored by 7 percent and Elbie Powers was the choice of 1 percent.

The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.2 percentage points.

"It is no surprise that Fred Smith and Pat McCrory are pulling away from the Republican field," said Dean Debnam, president of PPP. "They are the only candidates currently running television ads, and that's the key to a statewide race in North Carolina."

Public Policy Polling has released its latest poll on the GOP governor's race.

The results show a slight lead for longtime Charlotte mayor Pat McCrory, who is set to announce his candidacy Tuesday in Jamestown. 

Pat McCrory: 18 percent

Fred Smith: 16 percent

Bill Graham: 13 percent

Bob Orr: 8 percent

Elbie Powers: 2 percent

"Republican voters have not been particularly enamored with their current choices for Governor," said president Dean Debnam. "It looks like they want to give the new guy a shot."

The Raleigh-based Democratic polling firm surveyed 978 likely Republican primary voters on Jan. 9. The survey has a margin of error of 3.1 percent.

A Sampson County pecan farmer will run for governor.

In an e-mail to Dome, Elbie Powers writes that he intends to announce his run and details of his campaign at an event on his farm in a couple weeks.

That may be easier said than done.

"Let me start by first saying, standing at a podium, public speaking, stage fright, is an absolute horror for me," he writes. "I am not comfortable at public speaking and sure not a seasoned professional politician."

Powers says he will reduce taxes, lower gas prices, cut insurance premiums, create 1,000 jobs in each county, allow farmers to hire illegal immigrants when no locals want the job, limit state contracts to North Carolina businesses, put prisoners to work and cut incentives.

He did not specify which party nomination he's seeking.