In statehouse race, zingers fly

As Perdue's campaign ads blister the airwaves, McCrory is mostly content to let allies lead the charge

With only four weeks to go until election day, the ad wars are heating up in the governor's race.

Democratic candidate Beverly Perdue and her allies have attacked Republican Pat McCrory on stem cell research, the minimum wage, school vouchers and a trip to Paris. McCrory's supporters in the Republican Governors Association have attacked Perdue over various state taxes and her long tenure in state government.

McCrory has mostly stayed above the fray, with ads that talk in about improving education and cutting taxes. Still, one ad criticized Perdue's position on offshore drilling, and several have criticized Perdue for negative ads.

As in all political ads, there is some truth, a few stretches and some big, fat whoppers in the portrayals of both candidates.

For the past few months, The News & Observer's political team has sorted through the ads as part of our regular "Claims Department" feature. On Page 8A, we've assembled the more memorable claims and tested them for accuracy.

To see further analysis of each of the ads, go to the Under the Dome blog at dome.newsobserver.com. Check there or in the pages of the daily newspaper for updates on future ads by the two candidates and their allies.