Ballantine Announces Run For Governor

Ballantine told the delegates at the N.C. GOP State Convention that he had the ideas to grow North Carolina's farming industry, double the state's tourism over the next 10 years and make taxes fair for everyone.

Ballantine noted that North Carolina can still be the great state it should be.

"Leadership separates our state from a return to greatness," he said. "Leadership from a Governor who actually works every waking minute of every day to make this state better. To make your lives better. A conservative Governor who has the vision, maturity, intelligence and passion to lead us into the future. A Governor who actually does something."

Ballantine stressed that Republicans have the ideas to lead North Carolina into the future, and he outlined some of the top priorities of his candidacy.

"We have great ideas on how to build roads, modernize our economy, shift education dollars from the bureaucracy to the classroom, and make health care more affordable and accessible," he said.

He also noted that "being Governor isn't about age.

"It's about experience, drive and leadership," he said. "Those are qualities that I'll gladly match head-to-head with Mike Easley any day of the week."

Ballantine drew a huge ovation when he said the solution to the state's problems can be solved in next year's elections.

"The solution is the three B's," he said. "Bush, Burr and Ballantine."

The announcement followed months of crisscrossing the state, building a broad grassroots organization and raising more than $500,000 for his gubernatorial campaign. He announced that he would be traveling non-stop throughout the state over the next 18 months.