As for Pat McCrory, he was running for re-election as mayor of Charlotte.

The emergence of McCrory as the Republican nominee is one of the interesting story lines of the May primaries. McCrory proved himself a strong candidate, good on TV, able to tap into the large Charlotte media market and a competent fundraiser.

But what is intriguing is what happened to the two guys who were supposed to be battling for the Republican nomination. Both had campaigned for governor for a couple of years. Both spent millions of their own money. And now both will have some free time on their hands.

Smith's loss is easier to understand. The 66-year-old Clayton businessman and state senator ran a 1950s-style campaign in 2008.

He invested substantial sums on items that most political professionals say are not particularly effective. He spent $2.4 million hosting barbecues in all 100 counties, publishing and mailing his autobiography, "A Little Extra Effort," and hiring Lee Greenwood to perform at his rallies and compose a song called "From Good to Great."

That doesn't even count the more than $1 million he spent to buy an airplane that was used in the campaign.

All of the above is great political nostalgia and fun.

But Smith could have used that money to introduce himself to voters on TV and draw distinctions between himself and McCrory.

Smith could have been a contender. Instead, he has a book and a song.

Graham, a 47-year-old trial lawyer, is an even bigger puzzle. He was a new face in Tar Heel politics. He spent $2 million of his own money in 2006, mostly on a TV ad campaign opposing a gasoline tax increase. His campaign helped persuade the legislature to block an automatic gas tax increase.

Then he sort of went into political hibernation. He parted ways with his political consultant, former Raleigh Mayor Tom Fetzer. He still attended candidate forums, but he stopped putting money into a TV campaign -- until a week before the election.

Graham says the entry of his old Catawba College friend, McCrory, gave him pause. Graham said he had expected that when McCrory ran for re-election as mayor, he would not run for governor. So he was surprised when McCrory entered the race.

"I got mixed messages," Graham said. "I thought if he was going to genuinely get into the governor's race he would not run for mayor, and he chose to do both. As they say, it is what it is."

As a result, Graham turned off the spigot to his campaign.

"I didn't want to get into a spending war with a mayor in the Charlotte media market and try to divide the party," Graham said. "That was my primary thinking."

Graham said he still regards McCrory as a friend and has offered to help him.

He also feels good about his campaign and about having helped hold down the state gas tax.

The two millionaires, Smith and Graham, may also have been influenced by the economic downturn, making them less likely to pour their fortunes into the race.

In the end, the state Republican Party may have been the winner. McCrory, in all probability, is the strongest GOP general election candidate.

But who would have thought it six months ago, when McCrory was more likely to be talking about garbage collection in Charlotte than improving North Carolina's public school system?