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Former Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory will file to run as a Republican for North Carolina governor at the end of this month, January 31.

While she hasn’t announced a date, Governor Beverly Perdue, a Democrat, will file by the end of next month in this leap year, February 29.  That’s the deadline for the filing period.

Both candidates have about $2 million in their campaign accounts.

There is some talk that the governor may not run, but the talk is mostly by Democratic state Sen. Bill Faison from Orange County who wants her job.  Among political observers, Governor Perdue’s campaign is “game on.”  She will seek reelection.

Mr. McCrory will face little if no opposition in the primary.  Like his contemporary, Senator Richard Burr who had the help of Karl Rove, Mr. McCrory enjoys the strong support of the Republican Establishment.

The race is a rematch of the close 2008 contest.  Interestingly, there are important similarities between then and now.

Governor Perdue benefited greatly in 2008 from the surprising Democratic tide that gave Barak Obama North Carolina’s electoral votes.  She will need a similar Obama boost this year.

Pat McCrory still faces the same suspicions from social and religious conservatives.  He’s North Carolina’s Mitt Romney—without the money.  McCrory says the right things as does Romney, but McCrory’s moderate record—raising taxes for light rail, softness on Planned Parenthood—doesn’t excite the meat eaters.

And like 2008, the race probably will be decided by the economy.  The 2008 Wall Street collapse cemented President Obama’s victory, and if the economy continues to improve in 2012, so do Governor Perdue’s chances.

There will be some significant differences, none pleasant, unfortunately.

The rise of the super PAC—political action committees—will pour more money than ever into campaigns, especially for gubernatorial and congressional races.  Thanks to a dumb decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, wealthy corporations and individuals can give unlimited amounts of money to independent PACs.

It’s a farce that these groups are independent.  Witness the super PAC that dumped just in Iowa over $3 million on behalf of Mitt Romney that crippled Newt Gingrich’s campaign.

Which leads to another big difference.  Super PACs, for both sides, are the guys with brass knuckles and baseball bats.  They run the nastiest attack ads, and the 2012 governor’s race will be flooded with such thuggery.

Because the two candidates have been determined early, the final difference, sadly, is that all this sludge will start earlier.