Today, Gov. Pat McCrory celebrates his 60th birthday — but it’s not going to be a pleasant birthday morning.

A group called the Writers for a Progressive North Carolina purchased a full page newspaper ad in today’s Raleigh News & Observer with headline “HB2 U, PAT” that showcases a rainbow layer cake and body text that reads, “Governor McCrory, we send you our best wishes today as you celebrate your 60th birthday. But the real celebration will begin November 8th when North Carolina votes to move in a more progressive direction.” (view the full page ad below)

This birthday surprise comes on the heels of Pat telling voters that good friends have shunned him and his wife. Additionally, The Charlotte Observer decided to not endorse Pat McCrory for the first time in 25 years, a move that was picked up by national media outlets like Politico.

“We seek to alert all thinking-reading North Carolinians to everything at stake in November’s vote. As native Carolinians, we’ve been educated by our once-renowned public schools and universities. We’ve lately watched with horror as our tradition of intelligence and tolerance is stunted, ” said author Allan Gurganus, a leader of the Writers for a Progressive North Carolina. “North Carolina is sinking under this governor from a standard bearer of advanced thinking to a new watchword for backwardness. McCrory and crew are attempting to undo decades of hard-won promise. As literary chroniclers of our state’s endless beauties and merits, we urge a return to enlightened thinking, ethical standards, and the local decency our traditions once embodied.”


Charlotte-based ad agency BooneOakley helped to create the campaign. Owner Dave Oakley told me, “We had the idea, but had no clue when Governor McCrory’s birthday was. We googled it and almost fell off of our chairs.”

When I asked Dave about the business risk of taking on a small political project, he responded, “I believe HB2 is a discriminatory bill that needs to be repealed. Doing this ad is the least that we could do to help repeal HB2. It’s the right thing to do. And doing the right thing is usually good for business.”

Here’s the full page ad that ran in today’s Raleigh News & Observer: