A Republican group has moved quickly to take advantage of a change in election laws to raise money from well-heeled contributors across the country to help elect Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory as North Carolina’s next governor.

The Republican Governors Association has set up a North Carolina political action committee and raised nearly $390,000 for the “RGA North Carolina PAC” in less than three months.

Most of it has come from a handful of contributors who have shown little or no interest in North Carolina politics in the past. Contributors include top executives of the Coors Brewing Co. in Colorado and the Curves fitness center chain based in Waco, Tex.

The PAC’s biggest contributor is James L. Barksdale of Ridgeland, Miss., the former chief executive officer of Netscape. He gave $100,000.

McCrory has made a centerpiece of his campaign changing the culture of state government, which he says is controlled by big-money special interests. But his campaign is welcoming the association’s help.

“We certainly aren’t concerned if business people from around the country are interested in this race,” said Richard Hudson, McCrory’s campaign manager. “Especially given the fact that labor union money and special interest money is going to be flowing into the Democratic party to support our opponent.”

Democratic gubernatorial nominee Beverly Perdue’s campaign spokesman, David Kochman, said the McCrory campaign's acceptance of the PAC shows McCrory is not serious about campaign finance reform.

"I think it's ironic that a guy who claims he wants to change the political culture would be welcoming this type of activity," Kochman said.

The association’s PAC is an independent expenditure committee, which can spend money on political ads and get-out-the-vote efforts that support or oppose candidates, so long as those endeavors are not in coordination with a candidate’s campaign. On May 1, the 4th Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals threw out North Carolina’s limits on campaign contributions to these committees. Individuals can now give as much as they want, instead of $4,000 per election cycle — the state limit for candidates’ campaigns.

Public interest groups have long been concerned about unlimited contributions in political campaigns. They worry that such spending provides special access to candidates and drowns out meaningful debate.

"Sometimes when you have these independent groups, campaigns get turned into who can produce the most outrageous campaign ad or the most salacious soundbite, and that's not good for elections in North Carolina," said Bryan Warner, communications director for the nonprofit N.C. Center for Voter Education.

The association appears to be the first group to take advantage of the federal court ruling, creating the PAC three days later. According to its organizational filing, the purpose is "to make independent expenditures in support of (the) Republican nominee for governor."

"Pat McCrory is a phenomenal candidate," said RGA spokesman Chris Schrimpf. "And if he was not the current candidate, we would probably not have a PAC in North Carolina now."

State campaign finance reports show little involvement in North Carolina politics by the major contributors to the Republican governors' PAC. One contributor, Dan L. Crippen, a consultant from Bethesda, Md. for Schaller Anderson, a health care company, said he did not know his $25,000 contribution was going toward the North Carolina governor's race.

Crippen is an economic adviser to Republican U.S. Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign and a former director of the Congressional Budget Office. He said he is a longtime supporter of the association and its mission and did not disagree with how his contribution is being spent.

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