Tag search result

UPDATED: Pat McCrory is the governor-elect. But when will he take office?

The N.C. constitution says the governor's term "shall commence on the first day of January next after their election and continue until their successors are elected and qualified." But traditionally the transfer of power is timed to the Junior League of Raleigh's inauguration festivities. Gov. Bev Perdue took the oath of office Jan. 10, 2008.

This year's inauguration is pegged for Saturday, Jan. 12, a day after the league's inaugural ball. But Bob Orr, a conservative and former N.C. Supreme Court justice, argues McCrory needs to be sworn in sooner.

At his first news conference as North Carolina’s governor-elect, Republican Pat McCrory pledged to reach out to legislative leaders in both parties and “move very quickly” on forming an administration.

McCrory plans to speak to reporters in Raleigh on Thursday afternoon to offer details of his transition. “There’s not a lot of days to move so we’re going to move very quickly,” McCrory told a news conference at the Westin in Charlotte on Wednesday. “And there’s a sense of urgency.”

A day after his election, Pat McCrory is getting his own body guard.

The governor-elect requested a Highway Patrol executive security detail and Gov. Bev Perdue approved it. McCrory wouldn't normally receive body guard until taking office, but he is allowed to request it early, subject to approval.

Because he is not the state's chief executive for the next two months, the governor's office said McCrory will pay for the security detail with the transition money provided by the state legislature. Costs remain uncertain.

McCrory traveled the campaign trail in a Cadillac sedan drive by aide Morgan Beam. Now a state Highway Patrol trooper will drive him in a state car or SUV.

Pat McCrory isn't wasting time getting started. He is expected to travel to Raleigh on Wednesday to begin the transition.

As usual, the governor-elect will receive the key to state offices that will serve as his team's home base in the next two months. McCrory's offices will be located in the Albemarle Building at 325 Salisbury St., according to state officials. The tall, white office building houses a number of state offices, including Treasurer Janet Cowell. It is just across the street from the state legislative offices.

Ahead comfortably in the polls, Pat McCrory is quietly planning for his transition into power in the weeks before Election Day. McCrory's allies are looking at names for potential agency heads and a number of lists are floating through GOP circles.

"We are all obviously being very cautious and not doing very much until after the election,” Ed McMahan, a former state legislator from Charlotte, said Friday. “I think everybody would understand that either one of the candidates would be doing some planning … but everything’s being put on hold until after the election.”

North Carolina’s two candidates for governor began the final week of the campaign a study in contrasts.

Democratic Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton, the state’s lieutenant governor, was on the attack and raising money, hoping a final surge would allow him to close what the polls suggest is a wide gap with his GOP opponent. Meanwhile, a buoyant Republican Pat McCrory, the former Charlotte mayor, hit a diner and a local GOP headquarters and warned his supporters against overconfidence. Full story here.

More political headlines:

--Gov. Bev Perdue is sitting on $1.2 million as Democrat Walter Dalton faces a 6-to-1 cash deficit to Republican Pat McCrory

The News & Observer's editorial board endorsed Democrat Walter Dalton for governor in today's newspaper. It's a reversal from four years ago when the newspaper's opinion writers picked Republican Pat McCrory.

"Of these two candidates for the governorship, we think Dalton has more of what it takes to lead North Carolina in the right direction, toward more opportunity and prosperity for all of its people," the board wrote.

GOP gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory said he was inclined to support legislation to open government personnel files if it involved in illegality or corruption or misuse of a job when a person is is terminated, suspended, transferred or demoted. But he was not in favor of opening up files if it it just involved job performance.

McCrory also said he favor changing the law so the public could determine whether an employer carried worker compensation insurance. “It has caused a lot of concern among employers where some employers are paying workers comp and some are not,” McCrory said in a meeting with The News and Observer editorial board. “It is not fair for businesses who are doing it the right way."

GOP gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory is skipping the North Carolina NAACP state convention this week, a move that comes amid accusations from black leaders and his Democratic rival that he doesn't understand the needs of African Americans.

The group invited McCrory and Democrat Walter Dalton to a debate Saturday afternoon as part of a three-day convention. McCrory's campaign said it look at all its debate requests and picked the ones it could accommodate. "We turned down lots of debate requests because we obviously can't do them all," spokesman Brian Nick said. "Just the nature of a campaign that you can't do everything ... only so much time."

With Pat McCrory sitting on a double-digit lead in the polls, the Republican Governors Association is trimming its spending on TV commercials in North Carolina, according to new data.

The move signals that national Republicans are confident that McCrory is a near-lock to win the governor's race and allows the RGA to spend more in closer races across the country.

The RGA cut $400,000 from its ad buy in the next two weeks starting Monday, independent media buyers reported. "We feel comfortable," spokesman Mike Schrimpf said. "We are going to keep our foot on the gas but not press the pedal all the way to the floor."