Charlotte mayor has eye on governor's race

Pat McCrory was sworn into a seventh term as mayor of Charlotte on Friday, but he is looking beyond his city.

McCroy said he is giving serious consideration to entering the May GOP primary for governor and will make a decision shortly after the holidays, Rob Christensen reports.

"I’m going through a soul searching exercise,” McCrory said. “It’s something I’m considering based on the promises I made to many individuals.”

McCrory, a 51-year old Duke Energy executive, said he wants to see whether he can raise enough money to be competitive. He also wants to make sure he has sufficient support.

“I wouldn’t get into the race unless I had a good chance of winning, and I do think there is a chance of winning,” he said.

More after the jump

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Although McCrory declined to comment on it, he has had a state-wide poll conducted recently showing him competitive with the three announced candidates — state Sen. Fred Smith of Clayton, Salisbury attorney Bill Graham, and former N.C. Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr.

All three candidates have a huge head start on McCrory. But McCrory is well known in North Carolina’s largest metropolitan area.