CHAPEL HILL -- State Sen. Fred Smith was in Orange County on Monday, making the third stop on his 100-county barbecue campaign tour for governor.

The three-term Johnston County Republican announced in March he'd run for governor. Two other Republicans who have said they'll seek the nomination are Salisbury lawyer Bill Graham and former North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr.

Smith, 65, is president of a real estate development company and CEO of a paving company.

He plans to hold a barbecue campaign event in every county to meet with constituents and discuss views.

"It's as important for me to listen as it is for me to talk," he said Monday before going to the event in Hillsborough.

Smith said he believes in a smaller government whose first priority is "safe homes, safe streets, safe schools."

He discussed the need for education reform, saying that the number of dropouts from North Carolina high schools shows the current system isn't working.

Funding, he said, is not the problem.

"We are spending tremendously more money today than we did 10 years ago, and our output is not any better than it was," he said.

More vocational education would better help some students prepare for careers, Smith added.

Transportation infrastructure and roads need to be made a higher priority, Smith said, pointing to the botched Interstate 40 paving project now being repaired as evidence of bureaucratic mistakes.

Good roads and infrastructure creates a good business climate, improves quality of life and helps the environment, Smith said.

Smith also defended his attendance record in the recent legislative session, saying he had not missed a vote on any important legislation and that his absences had not changed the outcome of any laws. Smith had the highest number of absences of any senator, according to a recent tally by the News & Record of Greensboro.