Pat McCrory leads in gubernatorial race

Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton’s campaign is having trouble getting traction, and it appears unlikely that he’s going to be moving into the governor’s mansion in Raleigh in January. In the  latest Elon University Poll of likely voters, Republican Pat McCrory is leading Dalton, 52% to 38%. (Eight percent are undecided.)

After three gubernatorial debates, media appearances and television ads, the percentages are basically the same as they were in the Labor Day Elon Poll results, in which McCrory was supported by 52% to Dalton’s 37%.

Dalton’s candidacy is hurt by his lack of general name recognition and the idea that he is too closely aligned with Gov. Bev Perdue, whose popularity isn’t at its highest point. Meanwhile, McCrory, who was the popular mayor of the state’s largest city for 14 years, ran a close race against Perdue four years ago.

Based on the presidential poll results, it also doesn’t appear as if President Obama will have any coattails to lift the Democratic ticket. In 2010, voters elected a GOP-controlled state legislature. Unless things turn around for Dalton over the next week, it appears likely that voters will elect the first Republican governor in 20 years.

— John Robinson


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