Recently inaugurated Republican Gov. Pat McCrory towered over the petite outgoing governor, Bev Perdue, as she transferred the Seal of the State of North Carolina during McCrory’s swearing-in ceremony on Saturday. After Perdue exchanged the seal with trembling hands, she exited the stage after briefly accepting a hug from McCrory. 

As Perdue leaves the office with a 52 percent disapproval rating, according to Public Policy Polling, her successor not only enters with soaring support from the general public, but also with Republican control of both chambers of the General Assembly and the high courts. 

Though the Republican Party has been experiencing an identity crisis since the defeat of presidential candidate Mitt Romney, there has been an unprecedented resurgence of the party in North Carolina, which has had Democrat governors since 1993. When McCrory became the 74th governor of North Carolina on Saturday, he also became the third Republican to govern the state in the past 100 years.

McCrory won the statewide election with a 9 percent lead over the Democratic candidate, Walter Dalton. Republican Dan Forest will serve as McCrory’s Lieutenant Governor.

McCrory, 56, draws the bulk of his political experience from his tenure as the mayor of Charlotte between 1995 and 2009. The Queen City, which hosted the Democratic National Convention in September, served as McCrory’s campaign headquarters and contributed greatly to his victory.

McCrory’s platform, which emulated presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s business-centric campaign, gained popular support from the swing state, which suffers a current 9.6 percent unemployment rate. McCrory focused his campaign efforts on empowering local businesses.

Although McCrory enters office with favorable polls, a 53 percent approval rating, many Democrats and moderates in the state worry about conservative control of the governor’s office, the state Senate and House or Representatives and the high courts. 

The GOP’s reclamation of gubernatorial power isn’t a trend unique to North Carolina. Mike Beebe, of Arkansas, is the only Democratic governor left in the South. 

Public Policy Polling reported a majority of North Carolinians has expressed concerns about McCrory’s plan to stay employed at the law firm Moore & Van Allen, an organization that lobbies the state.

“Pat McCrory was elected because he promised to do things differently in Raleigh,” said Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling. “Our poll makes it clear he risks eroding the good will he’s going into office with by the way he’s handling parts of his transition.”

The 15-minute inauguration ceremony ended with remarks from McCrory, and he vaguely spoke of the challenges the state is facing and the need for cooperation.

“Our goal was not to get a title. Our goal was to lead and to govern and to serve with a purpose, and that’s what we’re going to begin doing today,” McCrory said. “We’re going to have some tough work ahead of us, but we all love our state and we care about the next generation of leaders for our state so they have the same quality of life we’ve enjoyed for so many years. Let us all work together, and let us never forget our purpose.”

But cooperation won’t be a major concern for McCrory: The GOP has super-majorities in the General Assembly, giving it veto-proof power.

In an article in Charlotte Business Journal, Andrew Taylor, a professor of political science at N.C. State, said that the GOP-controlled General Assembly won’t have a Democratic governor to impede on its power.

“The rules are such that the majority party does as it wishes and controls all of the important procedures,” Taylor said.

The Republican sweep of North Carolina softened Romney’s national loss for the state GOP, but for the state’s Democrats, the loss of power in all branches of the state government left some people blaming redistricting.

Dan Blue-D, a state senator of Wake County, called the 2011 redistricting “resegregation” in Charlotte Business Journal. 

Though the GOP has gained unmatched power, Taylor said he still considers North Carolina a “purple” state. 

Despite statewide losses, Democrats are hoping for bipartisanship. After McCrory’s election, Perdue called for cooperation from all sides to “put the acrimony behind us and work with Gov.-elect McCrory to move North Carolina forward.”

Much to the relief of Democrats, McCrory demonstrated bipartisanship during his time as mayor, and many are expecting a moderate governorship.

“As a lifelong Democrat, I proudly support Pat McCrory for governor,” said Dewey Hill, a retiring state representative, according to a report from the Wilmington Star News. “I applaud Pat McCrory for the positive campaign he is running, and I believe that speaks volumes about his integrity … Democrats, Republicans and Independents can be confident that Pat McCrory will put aside politics and focus on what really matters: results for the people of North Carolina.”

After Perdue’s term as governor, McCrory inherits a tense political climate in North Carolina. To reconcile that tension, he will have to demonstrate his willingness to cooperate with both Democrats and Independents, which will be put to the test as the General Assembly reconvenes on Wednesday.