When Bill Bourne introduced Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue as “the next governor of North Carolina,” no one objected.

Bourne organized a get-together for the Democratic nominee and about two dozen people Wednesday at On the Square restaurant.

“I’m excited about Tarboro and its new Web site,” she said. “Cool. You are living the dream.”

Perdue, who was en route to a private fund-raiser in Rocky Mount, appeared confident. The latest Public Policy Poll has her ahead of Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory, her Republican opponent, by five points.

Perdue asked questions and then answered them by saying what she would do if she is the first woman elected governor in North Carolina.

Edgecombe County Public Schools Superintendent Craig Witherspoon told her about the high schools getting laptop computers.

“That’s remarkable for the county to be so progressive,” she said. “The way you level the playing field in small North Carolina towns is with technology.”

Perdue reminisced about moving to New Bern years ago when there was no riverfront development.

“No one realized the water was resource,” she said.

Perdue promised more help with the former Main Street program that New Bern and Tarboro used successfully some 30 years ago.

“You have a plethora of wonderful historic homes,” she said. “The history here so rich. You need a governor that understands the Main Street program.”

Rusty Holderness told her Tarboro looked pretty but the county was losing population, as much as 10 percent since 2000. So many people who work in the county live elsewhere.

Bernice Pitt said the county’s biggest problem was its schools and the need for good teachers.

Witherspoon said most Edgecombe teachers live in Pitt and Nash counties.

Perdue said perhaps a program to pay teachers extra bonus money or trade paying for their education for years of service might be the solution.