2012 North Carolina gubernatorial election


The 2012 North Carolina gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 2012, concurrently with the 2012 United States presidential election, U.S. House election, statewide judicial election, Council of State election and various local elections.
The incumbent Democratic governor, Bev Perdue, was eligible to run for reelection. However, she announced on January 26, 2012, that she would not seek a second term in office. The Democratic nominee was the incumbent lieutenant governor, Walter H. Dalton, the Republican nominee was former mayor of Charlotte Pat McCrory and the Libertarian nominee was Barbara Howe. McCrory won the election with almost 55 percent of the vote to Dalton's 43 percent, the largest margin of victory for a Republican in an open-seat race for governor since the Reconstruction Era. When he became the 74th governor of North Carolina in January 2013, the Republicans won complete control of state government for the first time since Reconstruction.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		Bruce
Blackmon		Walter
Dalton		Gary
Dunn		Bob
Etheridge		Bill
Faison		Gardenia
Henley		Undecided
May 5–6, 2012500± 3.1%2%34%4%29%4%4%24%
April 26–30, 2012560± 4.2%2%32%5%23%5%3%30%
April 27–29, 2012500± 4.4%3%36%2%26%5%3%25%
April 20–23, 2012448± 4.7%3%32%3%27%4%2%27%
April 20–22, 2012500± 4.4%4%26%4%25%5%2%35%
March 23–25, 2012505± 4.4%5%15%4%26%3%2%45%
February 29 – March 1, 2012499± 4.4%5%19%2%26%2%4%41%

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		Dan
Blue		Walter
Dalton		Bob
Etheridge		Bill
Faison		Mike
McIntyre		Brad
Miller		Richard
Moore		Undecided
February 3–5, 2012400± 4.9%13%10%21%2%6%8%7%33%
February 3–5, 2012400± 4.9%11%20%24%4%———41%
February 3–5, 2012400± 4.9%—22%25%6%7%——40%
February 3–5, 2012400± 4.9%—20%24%4%—11%—41%
February 3–5, 2012400± 4.9%—21%24%5%——8%41%
February 3–5, 2012400± 4.9%—24%30%6%———39%

Debates

A series of televised debates between candidates Dalton, Etheridge and Faison, held April 16–18, was considered potentially pivotal, since "the governor’s race has so far attracted little attention, created little buzz and produced few political commercials" and "polls suggest there is still a large swath of Democratic voters who have yet to decide" for whom to vote.
The first debate, conducted by WRAL-TV and broadcast statewide, featured few differences between the candidates, but Faison was seen as the aggressor. The second debate was more contentious, with Dalton criticizing Etheridge's support of a free trade agreement while he was in Congress, and Etheridge attacking Dalton over his attendance record on boards and commissions and his alleged failure to speak out against the actions of the majority-Republican legislature.
In the final debate of the series, this one conducted by WNCN-TV and the North Carolina League of Women Voters, candidates were considered to be more "muted" in their criticisms of each other. All three spoke out strongly against a voter ID bill proposed by Republicans in the state legislature. Dalton emphasized modernizing the state's economy, Etheridge continued his themes of leadership and education, and Faison most sharply attacked Republicans and called for action on the state's unemployment problem.

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		Pat
McCrory		Someone more
OtherUndecided
September 1–4, 2011400± 4.9%40%46%—15%

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		Phil
Berger		Cherie
Berry		Tom
Fetzer		Virginia
Foxx		Pat
McCrory		Patrick
McHenry		Sue
Myrick		Fred
Smith		Other/
Undecided
November 19–21, 2010400± 4.9%2%3%12%11%37%3%6%4%22%

Results

General election

Candidates

Debates


Hypothetical polling		-------

;Democratic primary polling with Perdue

Debates

Dalton and McCrory met for their first televised debate at the studios of UNC-TV on October 3, 2012. Two debates were sponsored by the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters Educational Foundation, with the third and final debate sponsored by WRAL-TV and the Rocky Mount Chamber of Commerce. Howe was not invited to participate in any of the scheduled debates. The Associated Press characterized Dalton as going "on the offensive" against McCrory in the first debate. The final encounter between the two candidates, held Oct. 24 on the campus of North Carolina Wesleyan College, featured "more subdued disagreements over taxes, education, health care and mental health."
  • , C-SPAN, October 3, 2012
  • , C-SPAN, October 24, 2012

    Results


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