Republican Gov. Pat McCrory celebrates inauguration Saturday

RALEIGH — Marking a new GOP-dominated era in North Carolina politics, Gov. Pat McCrory kicked off his term Saturday in Raleigh with an inauguration ceremony and parade.

“As I look out toward Main Street with government at our back, I see unlimited opportunity,” McCrory said in his inauguration speech. “Government should not be a barricade or an obstacle to progress.”

McCrory, formerly the mayor of Charlotte, soundly defeated Democrat Walter Dalton by a double-digit margin in November, becoming the first Republican governor in 140 years with a GOP-controlled legislature.

John Dinan, a political science professor at Wake Forest University, said the greatest implication of McCrory’s election will be the shifting dynamics of power in Raleigh.

“Two years ago, united Democrats held the majority in the General Assembly and the governorship — now it’s the exact opposite,” he said.

The GOP leadership in the N.C. General Assembly will go head-to-head with McCrory for control of the party’s state agenda, Dinan said.

McCrory could either take a moderate approach to build consensus with minority Democrats or rubber-stamp the legislature’s priorities.

“Leaders in the General Assembly like Speaker of the House Thom Tillis and (Senate) President Pro Tem Phil Berger have driven the agenda in Raleigh for the last two years,” he said. “One of the things to watch in the next few months will be the feeling-out period between key Republicans and see who gets the lead on what issues.”

A key issue during McCrory’s term will be education, which he stressed in his speech.

“We must improve feedback with businesses, matching learning skills to the needs of the marketplace,” he said. “There is no excuse then if we do not get people off unemployment and into good jobs.”

To achieve this, he proposed an emphasis on vocational schools and online learning.

“We have at our fingertips the technology that opens up a world of knowledge at the click of a button and a connection to the Internet,” McCrory said.

Dinan said McCrory will make education reform a top priority during his term.

Much of McCrory’s campaign promises were general, Dinan said, but his aggressive advocacy of reforming the tax system suggests it will also be a hot issue during his term.

Gabby Migliara, a sophomore history and political science major at UNC, arrived in Raleigh early in the morning to volunteer for the Republican governor’s inauguration.

“It’s a historic day in North Carolina, and I’m excited to be a part of it,” she said.

Contact the desk editor at state@dailytarheel.com.