North Carolina Gov. Beverly Purdue will not seek re-election: report

North Carolina Gov. Beverly Purdue (D) will not run for a second term, reports said Thursday.

At least two sources told The Washington Post that Purdue would release a statement later in the afternoon confirming her intentions.

North Carolina's first woman governor faced an uphill battle after being elected amid an economic crisis. To make matters worse for the Democrat, Republicans took control of the legislature for the first time in more than a century in 2010.

The governor used her veto pen a record 16 times last year.

Purdue's approval rating has been around 40 percent throughout her term.

"It's now clear that the past four years of having a Democratic governor in North Carolina have been a failure," The Republican Governors Association said in a statement Thursday morning. "It's never been more clear that North Carolina needs a Republican governor who will bring fresh ideas and a new perspective to the governor's office."

Former Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory is expected to announce his bid for the Republican nomination next Tuesday.

Photo: Flickr/Jeff King