(AP) -- A Democratic official says North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue will not seek re-election.
Perdue, the first woman elected governor in North Carolina history, was facing a hard fight for a second term. That included a possible rematch against former Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory.
In 2008, Perdue narrowly defeated McCrory in North Carolina's closest gubernatorial contest since 1972, thanks partly to Barack Obama's surprise win in the state.
The Democratic official spoke on condition of anonymity because Perdue was expected to make a formal announcement later Thursday.
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