(RALEIGH) -- The governor of another southern state says the road to the White House will go through North Carolina. Gov. Phil Bryant of Mississippi was in Oak Island and New Bern this week campaigning for Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney.

Bryant said carrying North Carolina could lead to a sweep of four crucial swing states. "Just now the polls indicate we're at about 49 to 45 percent in North Carolina.  If we win North Carolina I think we sweep through Virginia, we take Florida and Ohio and we're on the way to victory," said Bryant.

You might remember that North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue compared our state to Mississippi when the ban on gay marriage passed in May. Gov. Bryant said she's a nice person who made a regrettable comment.