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A new Public Policy Polling survey shows the presidential race in North Carolina tied at 48 percent.

The poll -- released Monday -- from the Democratic firm was taken after the Republican National Convention in Florida. N.C. registered voters were evenly split three ways on the RNC between whether it made them more or less likely to support Republicans, or didn't make a difference. 

The results fit within others showing a tight race. A Elon poll released Monday gave Romney a one-point lead. Romney doesn't appear to get a bounce from his party's convention but his image did improve in the last month.

The Republican convention in Florida is continuing -- at least in part -- next week in Charlotte as the party seeks to counter the Democratic message.

About 50 high-profile operatives and surrogates for presidential candidate Mitt Romney are coming from Tampa to North Carolina to run a GOP war room not far from the Democratic convention at Time Warner Cable Arena.

Among the expected surrogates: N.C. Republican Party Chairman Robin Hayes, a former congressman and friend of VP candidate Paul Ryan; South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley; U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida; and RNC Chairman Reince Priebus.

Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx said the Democratic convention will show "what diversity really is" compared to the Republican gathering this week in Florida.

Appearing Friday night on Bloomberg TV, Foxx said Republican diversity looked different on the stage compared to the audience.

“I did notice a very distinct difference between what was happening on the platform and the audience itself," the black Democrat said. "I do think the Republicans recognize that there is a need to reflect diversity in what they’re projecting to the country, but I do think the Democratic convention is going to show you what diversity really is…Charlotte’s going to be about casting the vision of the president."

Like baseball players who come to Florida for spring training, Republicans came to Tampa hoping to get their ticket punched – their national ticket that is.

The Republicans seemed to have at least three major goals at their national nominating convention that they completed last night at Tampa: unify and excite the base, humanize their nominee, Mitt Romney, and neutralize the Medicare issue. Check out Rob Christensen's scorecard here.

More political headlines:

--Mitt Romney's speech. And a fact check of GOP claims.

--Hosting a convention for a pro-union political party in one of the nation’s most anti-union states has its challenges.

--A Charlotte festival that was supposed to offer conservatives an “alternative voice” during Democratic convention week has been canceled.

TAMPA, Fla. --Rep. Tom Price of Georgia, part of the House Republican leadership, is looking to North Carolina for one of the biggest GOP congressional hauls in the country.

Price, chairman of the House Policy Committee, thinks Republicans will pick up four seats in the Tar Heel state in November – enough to help keep the House in Republican hands. Although he didn't name the seats, he was referring to George Holding in the the 13^th, David Rouzer in the 7^th, Richard Hudson in the 8^th and Mark Meadows in the 11^th – all now held by Democrats.

Price told the North Carolina delegation breakfast, that he anticipates that the North Carolina delegation after November will have 10 Republicans and three Democrats after November. The big change is largely due to the GOP drawing of congressional redistricting lines last year.

As the ranking Republican in one of the nation’s leading battleground states, one might figure that GOP Sen. Richard Burr would be front and center at the Republican National Convention. But Burr has kept such a low profile that he’s barely been visible. He has no speaking part at the convention. On Wednesday, he was the eighth speaker at the North Carolina delegation breakfast. Burr says that is fine by him. Read more from Rob Christensen here.

More political headlines and a Democratic convention news:

--The Democratic National Convention added a bunch of North Carolinians to the list of speakers including Harvey Gantt, Mel Watt, Jim Hunt, Kay Hagan and others.

TAMPA, Fla. – Josh Romney stopped by the North Carolina delegation to praise his father and to take a few shots at President Barack Obama.

Romney, a Salt Lake City real estate developer who was born in 1975, described his father has his hero, and said he was ready to lead the country.

He told a North Carolina breakfast that Obama “doesn't recognize American exceptionalism.'' He said Obama looks more toward Europe as a model. “My dad realizes this is the greatest country on earth,” he said.

TAMPA, Fla. – North Carolina supporters of Texas Congressman Ron Paul were unhappy with the rule changes passed Tuesday by the Republican National Convention that they say will make it more difficult for future grass roots challenges to establishment candidates.

There were seven votes cast for Paul from the North Carolina delegation, with most going to former Massachusetts Gov Mitt Romney.

“I believe its the establishment Republicans who creating divisions in the Republican Party by basically trying to shut down the future of the party,” said state Rep. Glen Bradley of Youngsville. “If we lose in November it will be on the heads of those who try to shut Republicans down.''

UPDATED: On the first day of the Republican National Convention, more N.C. politicians gave speeches than are scheduled to take the stage at the entire Democratic Convention -- in North Carolina.

The three RNC speakers from North Carolina were three congressional candidates in targeted Democratic districts: Richard Hudson, David Rouzer and Mark Meadows.

The DNC speakers list so far includes just one North Carolina face: Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx. Home state Gov. Bev Perdue is expected to give a "welcome speech" but her slot is not yet scheduled. It is likely to come after 5 p.m. Tuesday when the convention gavels to a start but don't expect it to be long or appear in primetime.

(Democratic Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton -- the gubernatorial candidate in one of the most highly watched races in the country -- says he will speak but he can't say when.)

If it wasn’t for presidential politics, McCrory believes he would be in the middle of a re-election campaign for governor. But this time, McCrory said things will be different. Even if he won't celebrate with them in Tampa.

It was slightly awkward to have New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie sing his praises to a Tar Heel delegation breakfast Monday in St. Pete, while McCrory was back in North Carolina. McCrory appears to be trying to perform a political balancing act – being a party loyalist in supporting the national ticket while at the same time trying to broaden his coalition by reaching out to independents and Democrats. Read more here.

More politics:

--From the RNC: Ann Romney humanizes her husband and the GOP adopts a platform.

--Protesters went door-to-door in a low-income west Charlotte neighborhood on Tuesday to face one of their biggest challenges: Convincing the poor to join street demonstrations meant to highlight their struggles.