As Politics Nation catches up from vacation, a poll we missed earlier this week shows national Democrats have a new seat to worry about. After holding the North Carolina Governor's mansion since Jim Hunt won election in 1992, the party now faces the serious threat of a neck-and-neck race as incumbent Democrat Mike Easley finds himself term limited.

The poll, conducted by the Republican firm Tel Opinion Research for the Civitas Institute, surveyed 800 likely voters between 5/14-17 for a margin of error of +/- 3%. Lieutenant Governor Beverly Perdue, the Democratic nominee, and Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory, the Republican candidate, were tested.

General Election Matchup
(All / Dem / GOP / Ind / Men / Wom)
Perdue.....43 / 64 / 16 / 39 / 37 / 47
McCrory...42 / 23 / 70 / 37 / 46 / 39

Both candidates show impressive abilities to siphon votes away from the other party, though in a state that still has its share of Southern Democrats it is understandable that some might migrate to the Republican Party. Perdue won a surprisingly easy 56%-40% victory over State Treasurer Richard Moore in the Democratic primary, while McCrory, the more moderate Republican, won 46% of the vote, nine points ahead of his nearest rival, State Senator Fred Smith.

Both primaries turned contentious, though Perdue and Moore, who each had more money than their Republican rivals, spent more on television ads lambasting each other (Perdue took her negative ads down unilaterally a few weeks before the primary).

In a national environment with few truly contentious governors' races, both parties are looking for places to spend their money. Democrats will target Republican-held seats in Missouri and Indiana, while Republicans only had a close race in Washington State to go after before polls began to show a close contest in the Tar Heel State. Watch for both parties to play heavily in North Carolina this Fall.