Local

Pat McCrory wins NC Governor's race

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — For the first time in two decades, North Carolina will have a Republican governor.

Former Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory beat out Lieutenant Gov. Walter Dalton with 55 percent of the vote.

McCrory spoke to reporters at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte on Wednesday.

"I am extremely humbled and honored by the historic election results in North Carolina, and it didn't happen by myself.  It happened with a team effort that I am very, very proud of," McCrory said Wednesday.

McCrory went on to thank his campaign team saying, "They ran one of the best campaigns ever in North Carolina history and in the nation."

It is the same place he thanked supporters Tuesday night and promised North Carolinians to work for bipartisan solutions.

He told the room full of people there's a state of emergency in the state that too many people are struggling.

During the campaign, he often talked about the need to create jobs, and make the state more business-friendly.

At the end of his victory speech, in a more personal moment, McCrory told the crowd how glad he was that his parents decided to move to North Carolina.

"They brought us here to North Carolina because they knew this was the land of unlimited opportunity.  Opportunity not only for them to get a job, but for their kids to get a good education and job as well," McCrory said.

On Tuesday night, current Gov. Bev Perdue released a statement.  She told her staff to work with McCrory's staff  to make sure this transition of power is smooth.

The only county in the Charlotte area that did not vote for McCrory was Anson County.

Only about 25,000 votes separated McCrory from Dalton in Mecklenburg County where McCrory lost the last election.

McCrory said he will hold another news conference Thursday in Raleigh.