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1956
• Born in Columbus Ohio. Nine years later, his family moves to Jamestown in Guilford County.
1974
• Graduates from Ragsdale High in Jamestown, where he’d been elected student body president.
1978
• Graduates from Catawba College in Salisbury, moves to Charlotte to work for Duke Power Co.
1985
• Switches from Democrat to Republican, votes for mayoral candidate Sue Myrick.
1988
• Marries Ann Gordon.
1989
• Elected to Charlotte City Council for first time. Had earlier tried and failed to get appointed to several local government boards and committees. Re-elected in 1991 and 1993.
1995
• Elected city’s youngest mayor ever with 63 percent over Democrat Hoyle Martin. Would be re-elected seven times, with a high of 78 percent of the vote in 1999.
1998
• Pushes half-cent sales tax for light rail, which voters approve in referendum. Critics would dub it “the McCrory Line.”
2001
• Voters reject a non-binding referendum to build a new uptown arena, baseball stadium and a handful of arts projects.
2003
• Elected to 5th term, beating 4-term record held by Stan Brookshire and John Belk.
2005
• New city-owned arena opens after McCrory helps persuade NBA to award Charlotte a new franchise.
2006
• Successfully pushes for hike in hotel tax to build NASCAR Hall of Fame.
2007
• Leads effort to defeat a bond referendum that would have killed the transit tax.
• Leaves Duke Power to run for governor.
2008
• Loses governor’s race to Democrat Bev Perdue. Got 47 percent of the vote in his first electoral loss.
2009
• Leaves office as mayor. Succeeded by Democrat Anthony Foxx.
2010
• Joins Charlotte law firm Moore & Van Allen as Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives.
2012
• Launches second run for governor.
