Pat McCrory Bio
Patrick Lloyd McCrory (born October 17, 1956) is an American politician, businessman, and radio host who served as the 74th governor of North Carolina from 2013 to 2017. A Republican, he previously served as the 53rd mayor of Charlotte from 1995 to 2009, becoming the first Charlotte mayor to be elected governor of the state. He also ran unsuccessfully for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination in 2022. Since 2017, he has hosted a radio show in Charlotte and remained active in private business.
McCrory’s career has spanned more than three decades in North Carolina politics, beginning with his election to the Charlotte City Council in 1989. He is widely known for his long tenure as Charlotte’s longest-serving mayor and for signing the controversial Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act, also known as HB2, in 2016.
Early Life and Background
Patrick Lloyd McCrory was born on October 17, 1956, in Columbus, Ohio. He is the son of Rollin John McCrory and Audrey Mona McCrory, née Herzberg. McCrory grew up in the Jamestown area of North Carolina, where his family had relocated during his childhood. He graduated from Ragsdale High School in Jamestown, North Carolina, before pursuing higher education in the state.
McCrory attended Catawba College in Salisbury, North Carolina, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. In 2001, Catawba College recognized his accomplishments with an Honorary Doctorate of Legal Letters. His college years coincided with the early stages of his interest in public service and politics, which would shape the rest of his career.
After completing his education, McCrory entered the private sector and spent nearly three decades working for Duke Energy. He rose through the company during a period of significant growth in the Charlotte region, gaining experience in energy, business, and corporate operations. He retired from Duke Energy in early 2008 to pursue a run for governor of North Carolina.
Path to US Politics
McCrory’s path into US politics began at the local level in 1989, when he was elected to the Charlotte City Council as an at-large member. He won re-election in 1991 and 1993, serving as Mayor Pro Tem from 1993 to 1995. His time on the council gave him firsthand experience with municipal governance, transportation planning, and economic development in one of the fastest-growing cities in the South.
In 1995, McCrory won election as mayor of Charlotte, defeating Richard Vinroot, who had departed to seek the Republican nomination for governor. At age 39, McCrory became the youngest mayor in the city’s history. He went on to win re-election multiple times, eventually becoming the longest-serving mayor of Charlotte and a prominent voice in the North Carolina Republican Party.
Pat McCrory Career
Early Career (1989–1994)
McCrory began his political career on the Charlotte City Council in 1989, representing the city as an at-large councilman. He built a reputation for working on practical issues such as transportation, infrastructure, and neighborhood development. His re-elections in 1991 and 1993 demonstrated strong voter support, leading to his selection as Mayor Pro Tem in 1993.
During this period, McCrory also continued his private-sector career at Duke Energy, balancing the demands of corporate work with civic leadership. His council experience prepared him for the higher-profile role of mayor, which he assumed in 1995 after a successful campaign built on themes of economic growth and fiscal responsibility.
Mayor of Charlotte Era (1995–2009)
As mayor of Charlotte, McCrory presided over one of the most dynamic periods of growth in the city’s history. The city’s population grew by roughly 20 percent during his tenure, and the population of Uptown Charlotte expanded to more than 13,000 residents. McCrory led recruitment efforts that brought companies such as TIAA-CREF, General Dynamics Armament, The Westin Hotel, and Johnson & Wales University to the city.
McCrory’s signature accomplishment as mayor was the development of Charlotte’s 25-year transportation and land-use plan, which included the launch of the Lynx Light Rail system. Working with U.S. Senator Jesse Helms, he helped secure $200 million in federal funds for the project. The light-rail line has been widely cited as his biggest mayoral achievement. He also spearheaded the effort to bring the NASCAR Hall of Fame to Charlotte, a campaign Charlotte won in 2006 over competing cities.
He championed policies such as the 2004 Residential Tree Ordinance, a citywide sidewalk policy, and the integration of 42 miles of bike lanes into Charlotte’s transportation network. In 2003, he received the national Homeownership Hero Award in recognition of Charlotte’s high homeownership rate. He also founded the Mayor’s Mentoring Alliance in 1995, an initiative that grew to include 40 youth-serving organizations.
Governor of North Carolina Era (2013–2017)
McCrory was elected the 74th governor of North Carolina in 2012, defeating Democratic Lieutenant Governor Walter Dalton by a 55 percent to 43 percent margin. His election marked the first time Republicans controlled both chambers of the General Assembly and the governorship since Reconstruction. He took office on January 5, 2013, becoming the first Republican governor of the state since James G. Martin left office in 1993.
During his tenure, McCrory signed a series of conservative policy measures, including a 2013 tax reform that created a modified flat-tax system, the Regulatory Reform Act of 2013, and the Energy Modernization Act of 2014, which opened the door to hydraulic fracturing. He opted the state out of the expanded Medicaid program under the Affordable Care Act and signed legislation requiring voter photo identification, repealing same-day voter registration, and reducing early voting days.
McCrory signed the largest education budgets in North Carolina history in 2013 and 2015 and in 2016 signed what was described as the largest teacher pay raise in the nation, helping move the state’s average teacher pay above $50,000 per year. His tenure also included the signing of HB2 in March 2016, a measure that drew national attention, legal challenges, and significant economic backlash.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among McCrory’s most defining moments was the signing of the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act, also known as HB2, in March 2016. The law eliminated certain anti-discrimination protections and required individuals in government buildings to use restrooms corresponding to the sex on their birth certificates. The backlash was swift: over 160 companies called for its repeal, the NBA moved the 2017 All-Star Game out of Charlotte, and economists estimated the law cost the state between $450 million and $630 million in GDP. HB2 was partially repealed on March 30, 2017, shortly after McCrory left office.
Pat McCrory Career Wins
Across his career, Pat McCrory won seven consecutive elections as mayor of Charlotte between 1995 and 2007 and a single gubernatorial election in 2012. He also won three consecutive City Council races from 1989 to 1993. His 2012 victory as governor was the largest margin for a Republican in an open-seat gubernatorial race since Reconstruction.
Mayoral and Gubernatorial Highlights
McCrory’s first mayoral victory came in 1995 at age 39, making him the youngest mayor in Charlotte’s history. He went on to win re-election six additional times, with his 2007 victory over seven-term Democratic state Representative Beverly Earle by a 61-to-39 percent margin standing out as one of his most decisive. In 2012, he won the Republican gubernatorial primary with 83.4 percent of the vote before defeating Walter Dalton in the general election.
Other Wins & Achievements
McCrory’s political achievements include helping bring the NASCAR Hall of Fame to Charlotte and leading the development of the Lynx Light Rail system. He received the national Homeownership Hero Award in 2003 and an Honorary Doctorate of Legal Letters from Catawba College in 2001. He also served on the U.S. Homeland Security Advisory Council from 2002 to 2006 under President George W. Bush.
Pat McCrory Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Pat McCrory is the son of Rollin John McCrory and Audrey Mona McCrory, née Herzberg. He grew up in the Jamestown area of North Carolina after being born in Columbus, Ohio. He married Ann Sturgis in 1988, and the couple has resided in Charlotte, North Carolina, the city McCrory has called home for most of his adult life.
McCrory has also been active in civic causes beyond his political career, including serving as honorary chair for the Charlotte chapter of the Alzheimer’s Foundation and the Arthritis Foundation.