McCrory lifts the Charlotte curse: fifty years ago, a political scientist penned an oft-cited study that concluded big-city mayors 'have little in common but the lack of a political future--that they are, as a profession, predestined to political oblivion is a historical fact.'.

• Author: Mooneyham, Scott
• Position: CAPITALGOODS

Apparently no one told Pat McCrory. After 14 years as mayor of Charlotte, he is about to become our next governor. Still, beating Democratic Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton by 12 percentage points in last month's election may not answer two lingering, related questions: First, has the political landscape changed so that mayors are better positioned to run for higher office? Second, has the dreaded Charlotte curse under which candidates for statewide office from our largest city must minimize their ties to it or accept defeat finally been laid to rest?

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It's worth noting that McCrory is not the first mayor to become governor. Cameron Morrison, who had been mayor of Rockingham, was elected in 1920, and Gregg Cherry, onetime mayor of Gastonia, won in 1944. Neither made the leap directly, both serving in the state legislature before their gubernatorial bids. McCrory is a first--a big-city mayor who sold himself to voters as such. After the third and final televised gubernatorial debate, he told me his experience would help him win office and be effective as the state's chief executive. "A mayor, first of all, knows how to deal with a crisis. Being mayor is just a great ground to gain the skills necessary to be governor."

Most political scientists wouldn't disagree. Governors and mayors deal with similar issues. Budgets have to be balanced. Transportation systems must operate. Businesses and the jobs they provide need to be wooed and wowed. Running for governor is where history suggests mayors are at a disadvantage. According to a recent study by the National Lieutenant Governor's Association, just 8% of governors between 1981 and 2006 held a locally elected post prior to winning the state's top office.

The reason? Many rural voters look with suspicion on urban areas, their inhabitants and their political leadership. They see cities as the root of society's ills, with higher crime rates and decaying neighborhoods, or as economic powerhouses that steal the affection of political leaders. In 2008, Gov. Beverly Perdue used that type of wedge to defeat McCrory. Her campaign ran ads in rural parts of the state accusing him of wanting to divert road money to Charlotte. The rural urban divide feeds nicely into...