Amid speculation that he will run for N.C. governor in 2012, former Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory announced Tuesday on his website that he is not running — yet.
In his video, McCrory, who was defeated by Gov. Bev Perdue in the 2008 gubernatorial race, said he will make an official announcement about running for governor after the new year.
Although the video does not confirm that McCrory will seek the Republican nomination for governor, Ferrel Guillory, a professor in UNC’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication who studies Southern politics, said McCrory is clearly running.
“He has been traveling around the state and making speeches” Guillory said. “The video is getting him attention.”
McCrory said in the video he has not yet announced his candidacy for governor because of the length and cost of political campaigns.
“Frankly, the continuous political season wears on everybody, especially during these tough times,” he said.
McCrory stated in the video that he is delaying the announcement because he has been touring the state and familiarizing himself with its needs.
“I’m around the state listening, learning and discussing my vision for North Carolina,” he said. “One thing I’ve seen in every part of our state is the need for leadership in the governor’s office.”
McCrory leads other potential Republican candidates with 52 percent support, according to a recent poll by Public Policy Polling.
Perdue defeated McCrory in the 2008 gubernatorial election with about 50 percent of the vote, according to the N.C. State Board of Elections.
But the 2012 gubernatorial elections will have their own identity, Guillory said.
“Perdue will be running as an incumbent, which tends to have advantages, but that might be offset by the soft budget” he said.
The main topic of debate in 2012 will be jobs, Guillory said.
McCrory addressed this issue in his video.
“We have almost half a million people unemployed, and many more underemployed,” McCrory said.
According to report released Wednesday by Public Policy Polling, 47 percent of North Carolinians would vote for McCrory in 2012, and 42 percent would vote for Perdue.
“I would welcome a strong candidate against Perdue,” said freshman Eldon Zacek, a philosophy and economics major from Concord.
“From my experience, Charlotte and the surrounding areas has prospered during the time McCrory was mayor,” he said.
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