Legislative backlash creates tight House race in western Wake

Polls show Murry in a tight race with Democratic challenger Gale Adcock, the mayor pro tem of Cary, in House District 41, a Republican-leaning district that runs along the southwest edge of Wake County, catching western Cary and Morrisville.

Murry, a pharmacist and attorney, was first elected in the Republican wave of 2010 and now is chairman of the House Commerce Committee.

"I try to bring people together, work on common-sense solutions to move our state forward. I don't want to go back to the days of 11 percent unemployment, teacher furloughs, billion-dollar tax increases. That's not sustainable for our state," Murry said.

Adcock, a nurse practitioner and chief health officer at Cary-based software giant SAS Institute, said her main focus would be on restoring funding cuts to education.

"The people of this district have told me that they're concerned about education, public safety and their drinking water, and they don't feel that their views are being represented on Jones Street," she said. "What has troubled me the most is the atmosphere at the General Assembly, the lack of willingness to work, not just across the aisle, but within one's own party to achieve what's right and what's good."

Murry said his record shows he does work across the aisle. He's even running television ads about his independence, which is unusual – and very expensive – in a state House race.

"I think people need to know that I'm plenty willing to stand up to Republicans if necessary to do what's right for the folks in my district," he said.