Four GOP gubernatorial candidates square off for the first time tonight.
The 7 p.m. debate, broadcast live on WRAL, will be the first real test for Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory, who entered the race this week, Ben Niolet reports. The three other candidates have been in the race for much longer, but McCrory has dominated the buzz in the past few weeks.
Tonight the pressure will be on the longtime Charlotte mayor to justify the hype.
And the pressure will be on the other candidates—Salisbury lawyer Bill Graham, former Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr and state Sen. Fred Smith—to show that they have the best chances of beating a better-funded and better known Democratic candidate in November.
In contrast to the Democratic race, the Republicans have worked to stake their positions on issues, keeping attacks subtle and veiled. Since McCrory got in the race, the Republican rhetoric has intensified. And when the debate starts tonight, things may get even hotter.
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