Education 'is a battle for the heart and soul of this state'

Governor Beverly Perdue, a Craven County Democrat, is one of the most successful campaigners in North Carolina history.  She has won every race “except one,” including two terms in the N.C. House, five terms in the N.C. Senate, two statewide bids for Lt. Governor, and her 2008 race against Treasurer Richard Moore for the Democratic Party nominee for governor.  She has declared that she will continue to rally for support for education. "I will not go away. There are going to be people in this state, until the day I die, who will continue this conversation with me about education," she said. "This is a battle for the heart and soul of this state." Don't tell me what you value show me your budget and I will show you your values"-Joe Biden
Perdue, a former teacher, plans to devote her final 11 months in office to press the legislature to pass a three-quarters of a cent sales tax hike for education. She said she has to remove herself from election politics to be an effective advocate for the children of North Carolina.
"This is not going to be something that's going to become a political wedge issue in a campaign," she said. "This is something I'm passionate about."
On Saturday night, at the Democratic Party's Sanford-Hunt-Frye dinner in Greensboro, Perdue made her first public appearance since announcing her decision. She was greeted warmly by a cheering, chanting audience that raised "We Love Bev" placards into the air and praised her tenacity in taking on the Republican leadership in the General Assembly. That relationship - between the Republican-controlled state legislature and the Democratic governor - has often been a contentious one, marked by frustration and anger.
Governor Beverly Perdue, a Craven County Democrat, is one of the most successful campaigners in North Carolina history.  She has won every race “except one,” including two terms in the N.C. House, five terms in the N.C. Senate, two statewide bids for Lt. Governor, and her 2008 race against Treasurer Richard Moore for the Democratic Party nominee for governor. 
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