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Libertarian candidate Barbara Howe is airing a new TV ad that asks voters to "make a statement" and reject the two major parties in the governor's race.

The 30-second spot features three people who express frustration with the two major political parties before cutting to the candidate. "Libertarians takes the best the other two parties have to offer," Howe says.

The two major-party candidates for governor both stress close connections between education and business but approach the question of improving education from different angles. Democrat Walter Dalton would extend already established paths, while Republican Pat McCrory’s education proposals have the potential to remake the state’s public education system from kindergarten through college.

Read about education in the governor's race, the third installment in a series, and see a graphic of how the plans stack up.

More political headlines:

--On Tuesday, it will be four weeks before the Nov. 6 elections – let the countdown begin. We have had our first debates, more ads than you can shake a stick at, and more than a few motorcades. Read Rob Christensen's tutorial on what to expect in the closing month.

Republican legislative leaders are in tune with the concerns of Democrat Gene Conti, who complained this week that he is underpaid as the state’s transportation secretary.

That’s why they amended the state budget this year to give North Carolina’s next governor new power to set salaries for non-elected state department heads.

“These agencies have gotten huge in terms of budget and responsibility,” said state Sen. Richard Stevens of Cary, one of the Senate’s chief budget-writers.

Pat McCrory is red-carpet political fundraising has attracted its fair share of GOP stars: Chris Christie, Bobby Jindal, Steve Forbes and Nikki Haley.

But his campaign's April 30 check-gathering at the Angus Barn will likely top those events thanks to headliner Jeb Bush. The hosts for the event -- announced Thursday by his campaign -- include former Denmark Ambassador Jim Cain, appointed by President George W. Bush; Golden Corral executive Ted Fowler; Republican uber-fundraiser Kieran Shanahan; and businesswoman Judi Grainger.

Bush, the former Florida Republican governor, is widely considered as a future presidential candidate and known for his dedication to education policy. And it's worth noting he's in town next month as part of an education summit with former Democratic N.C. Gov. Jim Hunt.

The event will help McCrory boost his financial advantage over the Democratic candidates who will spend the next six weeks squeezing blood from a turnip and spend much of it to get the party's nomination.

North Carolina's governor's race consistently ranked as one of the most competitive in the nation for the past year. And despite Gov. Bev Perdue's departure, The Washington Post says it remains the one most likely to switch parties this election year.

"From the primary to the general election, it all translates to a contest that was and will continue to be the marquee governor’s race of November, perhaps even more so after Perdue’s exit," writes the Post's Aaron Blake. 

Read the full analysis at the newspaper's political blog here.

UPDATED: A new poll finds Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue lost little -- if any -- support in the days after three of her close associates were indicted.

Perdue still trails GOP challenger Pat McCrory by 10 points -- 50 percent to 40 percent -- in a head-to-head match up, according to Public Policy Polling, a Democratic firm. It's only 1 point -- and within the margin of error -- from last month's poll which found McCrory up 48 percent to 39 percent.

Perdue's approval rating stand at 37 percent, which is also in line with the November numbers. Half of the voters polled disapprove.

The poll was conducted Dec. 1-4 with a margin of error of 3.1 percent for the gubernatorial questions, PPP reported.

Other numbers show state Rep. Bill Faison, whose recent remarks suggested he may challenge Perdue, does far worse than the governor against McCrory. He would lose by 21 points if the election were held today, the poll found. Only 7 percent of voters view him favorably compared to 31 percent unfavorable -- striking numbers for a politician who has never campaigned in a statewide race.

"McCrory would defeat pretty much any Democrat in North Carolina next year unless he's significantly cut down to size," pollster Tom Jensen concludes. "Running someone else instead of Perdue is not some magical solution to the Democrats' problems."

McCrory's campaign later added this: "That's pretty glass half full spin coming from the Democrats regarding their poll," spokesman Brian Nick said. "Perhaps Governor Perdue can use these numbers in her next fundraising appeal."

For more poll analysis from PPP, click here.

In a list of competitive 2012 governor's races, North Carolina ranks No. 2, according to POLITICO, the online political website.

Here is author Dave Catanese's explanation: "Two public polls found Republican Pat McCrory with single-digit leads over Gov. Bev Perdue, who continues to hang tough despite a stubborn economy and strands of dissatisfaction within the Democratic base. The former Charlotte mayor also signaled he would delay his formal announcement until the beginning of next year, allowing him to float under the radar, raise money and quietly cobble together support without facing the day-to-day scrutiny of a full-fledged candidate. If he can pull it off, it’s a smart strategy for someone who wants this race to be a clean referendum on Perdue’s first term."

North Carolina moved up one spot from the previous ranking and sits behind only Montana where a term-limited governor is leaving a hotly contested open seat.