RALEIGH, North Carolina (Reuters) – North Carolina‘s Democratic Governor Bev Perdue announced she would not seek a second term on Thursday, giving in to falling poll numbers and a political image weakened by ethics questions and a revitalized Republican opposition.
Perdue, 65, a former school teacher with a doctorate in education administration, became the state’s first female governor when she was elected in 2008, the same year Barack Obama wrested the traditionally red state from Republicans in the presidential election.
But her political fortunes quickly declined when her 2008 campaign became the focus of ongoing state and federal criminal investigations stemming from allegations of failing to report dozens of flights donated to the campaign.
Three campaign aides were indicted in state court last November on charges of obstruction of justice and making false reports. One of the aides, Peter Reichard, who served as Perdue’s campaign finance director, pleaded guilty in December to a felony charge of obstruction of justice for his part in a scheme to funnel money from a Perdue contributor to another campaign aide.
“I don’t think she could see a path to victory,” said Joe Sinsheimer, a Democratic political strategist based in Raleigh. “With her ethics problems, she was going to be a political piñata.”
A poll conducted earlier this month by the Democratic-affiliated Public Policy Polling firm showed Perdue had 32 percent approval and