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Gov.-elect Pat McCrory remains guarded about what he intends to do after Gov. Bev Perdue's decision to set up a state-federal health exchange. In a statement Thursday, he said Perdue's decision gives him flexibility. Other Republican leaders blasted Perdue's decision. 

McCrory said he would talk to other Republican governors Friday. His campaign buddy S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley rejected a state exchange Thursday. More details here.

More political headlines:

--Erskine Bowles is reportedly saying -- again -- he would turn down any offer to become the next U.S. Treasury secretary, according to at least two media reports Thursday.

President Barack Obama almost ran the table Tuesday night when it came to battleground states. The lone exception: North Carolina.

Of a dozen competitive states, it was the only one that went from Democratic blue in 2008 to Republican red this year. Why didn’t Obama carry the Tar Heel State? Read five reasons here and see a map of results here.

More political headlines:

--Pat McCrory on Thursday will set foot in the Capitol for the first time as governor-elect. A block north, he will see a major challenge facing his administration: the N.C. General Assembly. 

--The 7th Congressional campaign and the lieutenant governor's race are headed to overtime. A recount looms.

Pat McCrory's schedule in his first days as governor-elect are becoming more clear.

McCrory will travel to Raleigh on Wednesday night ahead of a full day of meetings scheduled Thursday in the capital city. McCrory will meet at 11:30 a.m. with Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue, who beat him in the 2008 election.

In the wake of Democrat Walter Dalton's double-digit loss in the governor's race comes this question: Could he have done anything different to win?

Dome put the question to a few Democratic consultants and political observers. They offer interesting takes on why Dalton never caught fire but mention one recurring theme: he didn't distance himself from the current administration strongly enough. Read below.

Republican Pat McCrory's comeback after his loss in the 2008 govenor's race is striking.

He won 40 counties in 2008 and 77 counties in 2012, according to preliminary results.

Take a look at the 2012 state map (top). And the 2008 map (right) from McCrory's race against Gov. Bev Perdue.

Months after deciding not to seek another term, Perdue refunded $243,000 in campaign contributions. About $100,000 soon found its way to Dalton’s campaign, disclosure reports show.

About 15 of the 50 donors received the contribution and wrote a check to Dalton within a couple weeks. Now the timing is the subject of a campaign finance complaint filed by the N.C. Republican Party that alleges the transfers amount to an excess contribution from the Perdue campaign to Dalton.

National Journal's political prognosticators issued a dubious ranking with North Carolina at the top: most likely governor's office to change parties.

The analysis doesn't tout Republican Pat McCrory's positives, or Democrat Walter Dalton's negatives, so much as reflect Gov. Bev Perdue's shadow on the race. North Carolina bests Washington state and Montana, the other top two states.

Here's the writeup: "The fundamentals of the contest between Democratic Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton and Republican former Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory haven't changed much. Each candidate is working to undermine the other's image — Dalton wants McCrory to release his tax returns, McCrory wants to see Dalton's travel records — but the advantage lies with McCrory. That's largely because Walton's boss, Gov. Bev Perdue, is so unpopular. In an era of increased partisanship, it's going to be tough for Dalton to convince North Carolinians to give the Democratic Party another shot, albeit with a different candidate."

Pat McCrory accepted the Republican nomination for governor Saturday at the state convention, entering under blue-green balloon drop.

He called his Democratic opponent Walter Dalton a "Beverly Perdue understudy." He blasted the party for its attacks against him and used an incendiary quote from Public Policy Polling's Dustin Ingalls to light a fire in the crowd.

"'We have to eviscerate McCrory,'" McCrory started. "I didn't even know what that word meant. It means they are going to take the guts. They are going to open me up and take the guts out. "

Pat McCrory's campaign reports it raised more than $1 million since the start of the year -- and the fundraising period is still incomplete.

McCrory, the presumptive Republican nominee for governor, started the year with $2 million in the bank. So his roughly $3 million total (minus expenses) gives him a huge advantage against his Democratic rivals, who are trying to raise cash to beat each other in the May 8 primary.

Pat McCrory touted his private sector experience and tried to reassure a ballroom of commercial real estate developers Wednesday about the economy, saying that "hopefully you've seen the worst and things are starting to come back."

"Right now, North Carolina is going through a very tough time," McCrory said.

McCrory, the presumptive GOP nominee for governor, struck a less definitive tone than Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue, who recently declared "North Carolina is coming out of the recession; you can take it to the bank.”