Outgoing Perdue defends how she governed NC

RALEIGH, NC (WWAY) — Her term as governor has had its share of controversies. Now with just a few days left in office, Bev Perdue spoke out today defending her work for our state.

“We’ve nearly completed the work around mental health,” Perdue said. “Probation and parole is fixed. I believe the highway patrol is fixed. DOT is fixed; we’ve taken the politics out of DOT I did a really good job.”

Perdue says she sees herself as a fix-it governor.

But North Carolina’s first female governor shocked the state in January when she announced she would be the first in 30 years to not run for reelection, a decision she does not say much about.

“The nice thing about being me is that I don’t have to give an answer that seems to be compelling to you. The person that I answer to is myself,” Perdue said.

Some Democrats suggest the decision, at such a late hour, cost the party the governor’s seat in November.

“I don’t think it hurt the lieutenant governor at all,” Perdue said. “The lieutenant governor had run a marvelous statewide race, had friends in every county, raised great money.”

In spite of the fact Lieutenant Governor Walter Dalton raised just half as much money as Governor-Elect Pat McCrory, Perdue maintains she helped the ticket.

“I think I helped him a lot,” she said. “I feel very good about what I did for the Democratic ticket.”

Perdue also says she helped North Carolina. When asked about her proudest accomplishment, the governor, who always touted education as her first priority, turns to the kids.

“The most memorable moment for me as governor is the kids. The absolute kids that walk into this building and go, ‘The governor’s a woman!'”

Governor-Elect Pat McCrory will take office in a small private ceremony January 5. The inauguration ceremony will be held a week later, on January 12.