SALISBURY, N.C. -- North Carolina Republican gubernatorial nominee Pat McCrory campaigned at his alma mater in Salisbury Thursday along with popular Republican New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.
McCrory -- wearing a Catawba College shirt -- joked that even one of his professors, a die-hard liberal, was in the crowd supporting him.
McCrory and Christie focused on making government smaller and putting people back to work. They also cited differences between McCrory and his Democratic party challenger, Lt. Governor Walter Dalton.
"By gosh, we're going to bring that spirit back to North Carolina where we fight and we grow the private sector because it's the private sector that's going to get us out of this recession in North Carolina. That's the difference between me and my opponent. He believes we need to grow the government," McCrory said.
"There is no more important governor's race in America than the governor's race in North Carolina," Christie said.
Christie told a crowd of hundreds that McCrory is the man to do what he did in New Jersey, which includes shrinking government, spending less money and creating jobs.
Christie also positioned Dalton as current Governor Beverly Perdue's right hand man.
"The Lieutenant Governor only knows one way to govern, and that was watching how Beverly Perdue and her people did it over the last four years," he said.
Also Thursday, the issue advocacy group Action Progress NC said if McCrory is willing to campaign with Governor Christie, then he should follow Christie's lead on being transparent about tax returns.
Action Progress NC also wants McCrory to turn over his private sector work client list.
"Are the policy positions that Pat is pushing, are they really what he thinks are best for North Carolina, or is it what's good for his personal business over the last four years," asked Gerrick Brenner.
McCrory has not released his tax returns, but has released financial statements, which is all the law requires.
Walter Dalton's camp said Pat McCrory's jobs plan is based on Governor Christie's failed plan -- and that McCrory spent the day being a partisan groupie.
