The Republican race for governor might come down to rural vs. urban, a lawmaker from eastern North Carolina against the mayor of the state's largest city.

Debating Wednesday in front of small-town mountain voters, state Sen. Fred Smith took a swipe at the record of Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory, whom polls indicate is his main rival for their party's nomination.

"You can't build all the bells and whistles, you can't build arenas, you can't build light rail, and not use your moneys ... to provide what's needed," like jails and roads, Smith said. The $265 million Charlotte Bobcats Arena opened in 2005 and commuter trains started running last November in the city.

"I love it when someone from state government lectures me on how to spend money," McCrory shot back.

Such jousting was rare. Back-slapping, laughs, Democrat-bashing and agreement among McCrory, Smith, former state Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr and lawyer Bill Graham marked the debate at Blue Ridge Community College. But Smith criticized cost overruns for Charlotte's new commuter-train line while also contrasting his campaign style with McCrory's.

Smith said McCrory has targeted urban areas while his own campaign has aired television ads all over the state and dropped by Western North Carolina more than 60 times. McCrory, a relative newcomer to the race, said after the debate he has visited the region five times.

All the candidates sympathized with rural needs.

Smith rattled off the price of soybeans, and Hendersonville native Orr joked about the first time he milked a cow, just "down the road" from the college.

McCrory said his home city shouldn't get a share of the money won by the state in its tobacco settlement, which should go to rural counties.

Faced with a question unlikely to come up in an urban debate, McCrory and Smith agreed the state should let handgun owners pack heat on public lands.

The question referred to the slayings of John and Irene Bryant, attacked last fall during a hike in Pisgah National Forest. Orr differed with his rivals, saying he would oppose extending concealed-weapon permits to areas like state forests. Graham said he would have to see the details of such a proposal before deciding.

The debate helped Lois Stodghill, undecided going into the auditorium, pick a favorite.

The retired nurse liked McCrory's support for vocational education and school vouchers. The other three candidates were lukewarm on the need for vouchers.

"He also realizes, even though he's in the city, that agriculture is very important," she said.

WNC Republicans have another chance to see the four share a stage. They and long-shot candidate Elbie Powers are scheduled to debate May 1 at Asheville's YMI Cultural Center, just five days before the primary that will decide who takes on the Democratic winner of Richard Moore, Dennis Nielsen and Bev Perdue.

The article above by Jordan Schrader was published in the Citizen-Times on March 27, 2008 and is available online here.