McCrory, Cooper talk economy in Wrightsville Beach

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, NC (WWAY) — The economy was a big talker today for both men running for governor when they stopped in Wrightsville Beach today.

The election may be months away, but it was all politics at the beach as both Governor Pat McCrory and Attorney General Roy Cooper took the stage in front of the North Carolina Economic Development Association.

Cooper called out the controversial House Bill 2, saying it needs to be repealed immediately.

“We know House Bill 2 is wrong. It’s discriminatory to start with, but we also know it’s hurting our economy. Anytime you’re spreading hate is wrong. What we need to do in North Carolina is to make sure that we repeal House Bill 2 in order for us to send the message not only to the rest of the country but to the world that North Carolina is open and accepting and ready to do business,” said Cooper.

McCrory took a different stance, saying House Bill 2 is an issue brought up by the left wing and the Mayor of Charlotte calling attention to something no one was even talking about several months ago.

He said one of his goals is improving infrastructure in the state and that includes education.

“We’re going to continue to have some of the biggest teacher pay raises in the United States of America. Because we’ve got to stay competitive when it comes to getting good teachers coming to North Carolina and staying here. And this administration has made more dramatic changes in teacher pay raises in a positive sense than the last two administrations combined,” McCrory said.

Both men also talked about the need to foster an environment in North Carolina that encourages both large corporations and small businesses to set up shop and help the economy thrive.