Of course, I finish my first MNR in a month … and THIS breaks — N.C. Gov. Bev Perdue will not seek reelection this year, according to the Washington Post.
My take: Wha-wha-what? The Democrats in North Carolina had already pretty much resigned themselves to Perdue running — so who will feel that void now?
So why is she getting out? Are there new allegations coming against her? Did she realize she had no chance against Pat McCrory? Is it not for nefarious reasons but simply because she was tired of the game?
And why is the Washington Post reporting this and not the Raleigh News and Observer, the Charlotte Observer or another NORTH CAROLINA media entity?
Wow. Huge news. I’ll add updates here throughout the day.
UPDATE 10 A.M.: I’ve seen Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx’s name emerge as a possible candidate (and he’d be solid), along with Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton. Any other names out there?
UPDATE 12:55 P.M.: Here’s an official statement from Gov. Perdue –
Like the rest of the nation, North Carolina has been facing difficult economic times — demanding many difficult decisions. I have had to make painful budget cuts in important areas of government. But I believe I have approached this challenge in a way that is consistent with my values and the values that have made our state a wonderful place to live and raise a family. I have spent my tenure in office – and, in fact, my adult lifetime – fighting for things that I care deeply about. And as anyone who knows me will tell you, I do not back down from tough fights.
But I understand this: We live in highly partisan times, where some people seem more worried about scoring political points than working together to address the real challenges our state faces. And it is clear to me that my race for re-election will only further politicize the fight to adequately fund our schools. A re-election campaign in this already divisive environment will make it more difficult to find any bipartisan solutions.
The thing I care about most right now is making sure that our schools and schoolchildren do not continue to be the victims of shortsighted legislative actions and severe budget cuts inflicted by a legislative majority with the wrong priorities. Therefore, I am announcing today that I have decided not to seek re-election. I hope this decision will open the door to an honest and bipartisan effort to help our schools.
To those of you who have supported me throughout my years of public service, I will always be grateful for the confidence you have placed in me. In my remaining months in office, I look forward to continuing to fight for the priorities we share, by putting North Carolinians back to work and investing in our children’s future. To my children and grandchildren, and especially to my husband Bob, thank you for always being there for me – especially as I’ve weighed this difficult decision.
Thank you all, and God bless North Carolina.
My take: Nice sentiments … hard to believe, but nice sentiments.
I’ve met and interacted personally with Gov. Perdue a few times and I’ve always found her to be a very pleasant and professional person. She and our publisher, Patrick Holmes, have known each other for decades and that’s always been an aid to talking to her.
But if she was sincere about helping the education system, why not run for reelection and battle it out as the governor for four more years (if she won)? How does being a lame-duck governor help her cause to help kids? It doesn’t.
I feel pretty much the same way about this situation that I did about Sarah Palin stepping down as Alaska’s governor so her administration could continue “with great administrative and legislative success.” Palin did it to sell books and become a multi-millionaire; her reason wasn’t for the best interest of Alaska.
The same goes for Perdue — she’s doing this for one of a few reasons:
- She knew she couldn’t win
- She knows something’s about to come down the line in indictments
- She’s just tired of the bickering, the fussing and the fighting
It’s one of those reasons — not for her written reason. We’ll see.
