Tag search result

Gov.-elect Pat McCrory convened an informal Council of State meeting hours after the current panel met Tuesday to decide the Dix land lease deal.

At the meeting of the incoming Council of State, the Dix vote from earlier in the morning didn't get discussed, said McCrory spokesman Chris Walker. It was more of a get-to-know-everyone meeting, he said, in which all pledged to work together.

Through the spokesman, McCrory declined to comment on the Dix deal and wouldn't publicly support Republican Senate leader Phil Berger's efforts to find a legal way to block the lease to the City of Raleigh.

In case you missed it, click here to check out Charlotte Observer editorial cartoonist Kevin Siers' latest take on the N.C. governor's race. Hint: It includes momma Bev Perdue and a baby Walter Dalton.

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.

Gov. Bev Perdue's exit from the governor's race altered the North Carolina political landscape. Here's the complete coverage:

Perdue's decision shocked many -- but it came after a days of personal soul searching and the reality of the political math. Read more here.

Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton doesn't waste time. He enters the race. How many other Democrats will do the same? Read more here.

Also, if Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx enters the race he would face former mayor Pat McCrory, the likely GOP nominee. Read here.

Opponents of the marriage amendment banning gay marriage and civil unions see renewed hope as Democrats now have a reason to go to the polls in May. Read here.

It as a typical week for Perdue until Thursday and she gave no hint of her thinking. Read more here.

Perdue's legacy starts to take shape as she battled from the state. Read here.

Gov. Bev Perdue's job performance rating continues to tumble with less than one in three North Carolina voters approving and more than half disapproving, according to a new poll.

Public Policy Polling, a Democratic survey firm based in Raleigh, found that Republican challenger Pat McCrory maintained his double-digit lead among likely voters in a hypothetical matchup, winning 52 percent to 41 percent, a very slight improvement from last month.

Perdue's 32 percent approval rating is her lowest since March, down 6 percentage points from November. Her disapproval is at 51 percent. McCrory's favorability remained essentially the same (down 1 percentage point) and his unfavorable numbers improved from 28 percent to 24 percent ahead of his expect announcement to formally enter the governor's race.

UPDATED: As Republican Pat McCrory keeps milking his I-will-run-but-not-yet statements for free news coverage, Democrats aren't waiting to fight back.

In a short Web video posted last week, the N.C. Democratic Party claims "in 2011, Team McCrory has been very, very naughty." In the background, Christmas music plays as Santa holds a naughty list. The Democrats debuted a new website TeamMcCrory.com and promised more information Jan. 3. (The link is not yet active and directs to the state party's website.)

The video previews an effort by the party to define McCrory before he even formally declares his bid for governor against incumbent Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue, who is trailing her likely opponent in early polls.

Democrats are expected to highlight what they call McCrory's flip-flops, ethical issues and other misdeeds. And the site will serve as a venue to track the candidate's statements and explore his record as the former Charlotte mayor, party officials said.

The N.C. Republican Party, through spokesman Rob Lockwood, responded with its own imagery, calling the forthcoming campaign laughable. "With Perdue and her staff up to their eyeballs in criminal indictments and investigations, hearing them talk about behaving is like listening to Kim Kardashian talk about the sanctity of marriage," Lockwood said. "This ad will do nothing more than give North Carolinians a good laugh during the holidays, and remind them about how scandal plagued Perdue has been since she took office."

Gov. Bev Perdue's former top fundraiser is expected to agree to a plea deal today, concluding his criminal case with rare speed just two weeks after his indictment in a state campaign finance investigation.

The deal being negotiated would keep Peter Reichard from serving a prison term. But it won't resolve the political fallout for Perdue, the state's top Democrat, as she faces a tough re-election battle and sagging poll numbers. The legal cases against three other Perdue associates will likely extend into the 2012 election year, making it a ripe issue for the campaign season.

"The longer it goes on, the worse it is for her," said Chris Cooper, a political expert at Western Carolina University. "This headline will be a lot bigger deal closer to election time." Read the full story 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.