The Change Agent

Pat McCrory changed North Carolina - and paid the price for it. For the first time, here is the full story.

Gov. Pat McCrory shaped modern North Carolina politics as few leaders have, until a brutal final year left him condemned by the left and cast aside by the right.

Before the boycotts, protests, and bitter defeat, McCrory was a beloved mayor who helped transform Charlotte from a growing banking city into a major American city. Then he became a governor who brought the same restless, results-driven style to Raleigh.

It worked - until it didn't.

The Change Agent takes you behind the scenes of one of North Carolina's most consequential political careers, including the inside story of House Bill 2, the backroom fights with legislative leaders, the pressure from corporate America, the scramble after Hurricane Matthew, the razor-thin 2016 loss, and the strange post-defeat visit to Trump Tower.

Based on more than 300 hours of interviews, Andrew Dunn tells the story of McCrory's ambition, risks, fights, missteps, and lasting legacy. It is a revealing portrait of a leader who built and battled, won and lost, and still may have something to teach a political world that has forgotten how to govern.