North Carolina gubernatorial races are heating up

CORRECTION: The original version of this story misprinted Keith Mason’s name as Keith Nathan. The Daily Tar Heel apologizes for the error.

The campaigns for the state’s gubernatorial office are beginning to heat up ahead of the May 8 primary.

Democratic candidates attended a forum hosted by the N.C. Association of School Administrators Thursday to discuss education issues, while Republican frontrunner Pat McCrory unveiled his education platform the day before.

McCrory, the former Charlotte mayor who narrowly lost to Gov. Bev Perdue in 2008, has largely maintained his lead in the polls due to name recognition and support among independents.

According to recent surveys conducted by Public Policy Polling, a left-leaning polling firm based in Raleigh, McCrory is the clear leader on the Republican side with 64 percent of the GOP vote.

Former Congressman Bob Etheridge leads among Democratic voters at 26 percent, followed by Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton at 15 percent.

But with 45 percent of the Democratic electorate still undecided, much of the race is up for grabs.

Etheridge’s campaign anticipates a tough primary fight and is running on a platform of opposition to education cuts enacted last summer by the Republican majority at the state legislature, said Keith Mason, press assistant for the campaign.

“As governor, Mr. Etheridge will stand up against the actions of the GOP General Assembly,” he said.

Conversely, McCrory’s campaign positively views the Republicans’ actions in the last session, including efforts to boost the economy and energy production through drilling, said Brian Nick, McCrory’s campaign spokesman.

“I think the differences between Pat’s position and many Democrats is that we need to be at the point of action,” he said.

Nick said the McCrory campaign has not found anyone who knows anything about the four other Republican challengers in the primary, a fact Jim Mahan hopes to change.

Mahan, a former entrepreneur, architect and teacher, is running a campaign aimed at turning the state’s economy around and reforming government in 185 days.

No governor should serve for more than one term, Mahan said, and he feels like his wealth of experience makes him a qualified candidate for governor.

“I have been told that I had more qualifications to be governor than all of the other candidates put together,” he said.

Mahan’s dislike of career politicians is shared by one of the five Democratic candidates who is relatively unknown, Gary Dunn.

Dunn, a 58-year-old junior English major at UNC-Charlotte, believes politicians have strayed from listening to their constituents and have spent far too long in their jobs.

“I went to a Democratic victory dinner in Charlotte, and I was in tears when I heard people lauding other people for being in government for a long number of years,” he said.

“We don’t want stagnation in government.”

Etheridge and Rep. Bill Faison, D-Orange, are scheduled to attend a town hall forum at N.C. Central University’s law school on Wednesday at 7 p.m., according to reports from the (Raleigh) News & Observer.

Contact the State & National Editor at state@dailytarheel.com.