McCrory boasts big advantage in polls

Ever since he lost to Gov. Bev Perdue in 2008, Republican gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory has been gearing up for another shot at the governor’s mansion.

And if the leading polls are any indication, it appears those efforts have paid off.

The former Charlotte mayor has garnered a double-digit advantage in polls with less than a week before Election Day on Nov. 6.

“It would take something surprising at this point to move the race from where it is now — a solid McCrory lead,” said John Dinan, a political science professor at Wake Forest University.

McCrory has an 11 percentage point lead over Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton, the Democratic candidate, according to Public Policy Polling, a left-leaning polling firm based in Raleigh.

“North Carolinians are hungry to elect new leadership to the governor’s office,” said Ricky Diaz, spokesman for McCrory.

Dinan said Dalton has been unable to raise the requisite money to compete with McCrory.

Ford Porter, spokesman for Dalton, attributes Dalton’s disadvantage to a lack of time.

“McCrory has been campaigning and fundraising for the last four-and-a-half years since he lost to Gov. Perdue,” Porter said.

“We’ve only been going for 10 months.”

Dalton’s campaign has worked diligently to boost the lieutenant governor’s name recognition, Porter said.

“We hope that on Election Day everyone knows what he stands for and that he’s committed to putting people in North Carolina back to work,” he said.

But Dinan said the McCrory campaign has successfully painted Dalton as a continuation of Perdue’s governorship.

Diaz said North Carolinians want a fresh leader to address economic and ethical challenges in Raleigh.

“People are more tuned in to the broken government system and realize more needs to be done to start a Carolina comeback on the state level,” he said.

Education and jobs have been the most prominent issues in the race.

Dalton supports growing the military economy and investing in bio-technology research to create jobs.

McCrory supports lowering N.C.’s corporate tax rate and instituting education reforms that will promote job creation.

His education plan focuses on increasing vocational programs, including those at community colleges.

McCrory has said too many high school students are being pushed into a four-year university track.

“This is the old type of thinking, kind of an elitism in education,” he said in last week’s final televised debate.

Dalton said he would restore need-based financial aid to pre-budget cut levels.

Last year, the UNC system sustained a $414 million cut to its budget by the N.C. General Assembly.

Dalton said he would also increase N.C. teachers’ pay.

“That’s the way to become a global leader,” he said at the debate.

Contact the desk editor at state@dailytarheel.com.