The Charlotte Observer has ended its 25-year streak of endorsing Republican Pat McCrory in every one of his bids for office.
In a harsh post, the Observer’s editorial board says McCrory, the current governor of North Carolina, has shown a “lack of leadership” and put forth “wrong-headed policies.”
The failure to back McCrory for the first time since 1991 stems from his signing of House Bill 2 into law, the controversial legislation that prevents transgender persons from using the public restroom facility that corresponds with their gender identity. Since McCrory signed HB2, there has been state and national backlash.
In addition, McCrory failed “to return the state to its stature as a progressive leader in the South” and “has climbed the ladder beyond his abilities,” the editors wrote.
The board hailed the incumbent’s opponent, Democrat Roy Cooper has a “superior option” for voters.
“Cooper has a clear vision of what he wants to accomplish, built largely on investing in public education and creating a well-trained workforce that will feed a growing economy and strengthen the middle class,” the board wrote.
Recent polls show the race between McCrory and Cooper as incredibly tight. A Quinnipiac University poll released in September shows Cooper up by 7 percentage points.
