McCrory not over gov race

For the first time in 20 years, Pat McCrory voted in a Charlotte election and didn't see his name on the ballot.

Charlotte Observer columnist Tommy Tomlinson spent some time with McCrory on Tuesday as the Republican's tenure as mayor comes to a close. The paper is giving McCrory the full sendoff, including a photo gallery of him over the years. Here's a notable section of Tomlinson's column.

He expected to be voting on this day from Raleigh, as governor. He ran last year as a veteran mayor with a nationwide profile, a moderate Republican record and good hair. He took a whipping from Lt. Gov. Bev Perdue. He couldn't even carry Charlotte.

McCrory says Perdue spent more money on the ground and Barack Obama had long coattails. He says he's over it. But then he says he might run again. In a 45-minute stretch, he mentions the governor's race eight times. "That's a tough knot in the stomach," he says.