Until now, the race to replace outgoing North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley has been dominated by an increasingly nasty Democratic primary. Lieutenant Gov. Beverly Perdue and Treasurer Richard Moore have been slugging it out for months, trading barbs and charges over their respective records.

The Republican race, by contrast, has been marked by virtually unknown candidates, including attorney Bill Graham, former state Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr and State Senator Fred Smith. Finally, though, Republicans think they have found a real candidate, and a poll conducted for Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory shows the big city mayor could make the race competitive.

The poll, conducted between 11/12-15 by Washington- and Houston-based Voter/Consumer Research, surveyed 501 registered voters for a margin of error of +/- 4%, while a separate sample included 301 Republican primary voters for a margin of error of +/- 6%. All six candidates were tested.

General Election Matchups
McCrory 39
Perdue 36

Moore 37
McCrory 36

Primary Election Matchup
McCrory 20
Smith 19
Graham 12
Orr 9

McCrory has yet to officially make up his mind on the race, and continues consulting with family and supporters before his anticipated announcement, a spokeswoman said. That announcement is likely to come shortly after the new year.

While McCrory would make the race competitive for Republicans, he might have a difficult time making it out of the GOP primary. The three other candidates would all be running to the right, and conservatives would likely choose Smith, Graham or Orr over the more moderate McCrory. Still, having been elected to seven two-year terms in a big city, Republicans might decide to give him a pass in the primary with the hope that he would attract enough urban support to take the seat back for the GOP.