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| Pam Melton is the NCCUL Director of Political Affairs. She can be reached at (800) 822-8859, ext. 9067. |
As the candidate filing period deadline draws closer, the 2012 election season is marked by significant turnovers and will certainly be one for the record books. So far, the announcement that Governor Bev Perdue will not seek re-election has been the biggest surprise.
Was the Governor’s announcement a game-changer? “Pollsters, analysts, political experts, and the general public can probably agree that Governor Perdue’s term in office has been controversial and challenging,” said NCCUL Director of Political Affairs, Pam Melton. “With so much controversy and strife between Gov. Perdue and the Republican controlled legislature, preliminary election predictions appeared to favor gubernatorial hopeful Pat McCrory.”
That brings us back to the question: did Governor Perdue better position her party for victory or was the timing of her announcement detrimental to any effective campaigning efforts?
“Stay tuned, only time will answer that question,” explained Melton. “The Governor’s race is certainly one to watch. However, the Lieutenant Governor’s seat is in play, in addition to three open Congressional seats, 10 open State Senate seats and 34 open State House seats. With the filing period still a few days away, expect more surprises.”
The filing period officially ends on February 29. A complete list of candidates will be provided in next week’s update.