by Mike Andrew - SGN Staff Writer

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory, lagging about four points behind his Democratic challenger, Attorney General Roy Cooper, in his race for re-election, is now running a TV ad suggesting that Transgender students are a threat to the safety of other children.

'You know, when we were raising average teacher pay, creating new jobs, and cutting taxes, other folks were actually pushing to make our schools allow boys to use the girls' locker rooms and showers. Are we really talking about this?' McCrory asks with an incredulous tone in the 30-second spot.

'Does the desire to be politically correct outweigh our children's privacy and safety? Not on my watch. Our kids and teachers are my priority. This is North Carolina. Let's do what's right.'

McCrory - once thought to be a sure bet for re-election - has fallen in the polls after national fallout from his support for HB 2, a draconian North Carolina law that repeals local civil rights protections for the state's LGBT residents and bars Trans students from using gender-appropriate restrooms.

A recent survey from Monmouth University found that 55% of North Carolinians disapprove of the law. And a whopping 70% of voters feel the law has been bad for North Carolina's national reputation, according to the survey.

'McCrory is trying to take control of the HB 2 debate with a new TV ad,' Patrick Murray, the director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute, said in a statement accompanying the survey.

'As of right now, though, North Carolina voters feel it has hurt the state, which is helping Cooper's bid to unseat the incumbent.'

Cooper said early on that he believed HB 2 was unconstitutional and that his office would not defend it in court.

Enforcement of the measure is currently blocked by a federal injunction, pending hearings on suits brought by North Carolina residents.

The measure has already cost the state millions of dollars' worth of business, including the 2017 NBA All-Star Game. The NBA cited HB 2 in its decision to move the game from Charlotte to New Orleans.

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