An Early Look at the Race for North Carolina’s Governor

Josh Stein, pictured above, will run for the seat of Governor in North Carolina once current Governor Roy Cooper’s term ends in 2024. Source for photo: North Carolina Public Radio

Environmental protection, increased access to healthcare, job growth, and focus on public education have been just some of the matters that current North Carolina governor Roy Cooper has focused on during his time in office. Governor Cooper was first elected to this position in 2016; following his first term, he won re-election in 2020. As stated in the North Carolina legislature, no individual may serve more than two consecutive four-year terms, making him unable to run again next fall. 

Historically, North Carolina has been considered a swing state in terms of party dominance, although Republican governors have only relatively recently broken into office, beginning with former Governor James Holshouser who served from 1973 to 1977. However, the state’s electoral votes have been leaning heavily towards the Republican party, going to the Republican candidate in ten of the last eleven presidential elections. The upcoming election for the governorship of North Carolina will have no incumbent, a term referring to a candidate who currently holds the seat of the position they are running for and are trying to gain re-election for. North Carolina’s state constitution includes an article which expresses that neither the governor nor lieutenant governor may serve more than two consecutive terms of the same office, ruling out current Governor Cooper’s possibility of re-election. 

The party that controls the Capitol Building could have immeasurable impact on the future of North Carolina constituents, as the landmark decision Roe v Wade has been overturned, giving the states the power to determine the future of abortion within their borders. In response, Governor Cooper signed an executive order which protects a person’s right to abortion, not only impacting North Carolinians, but the residents of neighboring states such as Tennessee and South Carolina, states whose legislatures have restricted access to abortion, as North Carolina is the state in closest proximity where these states’ constituents could gain access to abortions. When the seat of governor falls into different hands, this executive order could be affected, determining the political landscape of North Carolina in the future. 

So far, Democrat Josh Stein is the only declared candidate for the office of North Carolina governor. A graduate of Dartmouth College and Harvard Law, Stein began serving as state Attorney General in 2017, and he won re-election in 2020 as well. Prior to this position, he had served four terms as the state senator for District 16. Stein already boasts endorsements from former Governor Jim Hunt and dozens of state senators and representatives as well as over $4 million in fundraising and donations, according to Stein’s personal campaign website. His campaign is based around “family protection”; as AG he has targeted e-cigarette company JUUL for unlawful marketing to minors and has launched investigations into other companies who were accused of price gouging coronavirus-related products. 

Observers speculate that prospective candidates include Democrats Cheri Beasley, the former Chief Justice of the NC Supreme Court and US Senate nominee; Mandy Cohen, former Secretary of the NC Department of Health and Human Services; and Michael Regan, the current administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency under the Biden administration. Current lieutenant governor, Republican Mark Robinson, has hinted that he is considering a bid for the governorship as well. As the first Black individual elected to his position, Robinson has been known for his strong stance as an anti-abortion proponent. In January, he spoke at the North Carolina Rights to Life’s annual Rally and March for Life as the keynote speaker, preaching that North Carolina should become a “destination state for life.” NC State Treasurer Dale Folwell announced that he was strongly considering a bid for the position also. Like Stein, Folwell was elected to his position and began serving in 2017; he was re-elected to the position of Treasurer in 2020 and has received support from fellow Republicans to declare his campaign. 

The most likely outcome will be a race between Stein and Robinson, as Robinson told certain news sources that he is “gearing up to run” for the governorship. When Robinson ran for lieutenant governor, his platform was based around 2nd Amendment rights, anti-abortion policies, and cracking down on illegal immigration from across the United States-Mexico border. When both Stein and Robinson ran for their respective statewide-elected offices in 2020, Stein won his position by only 0.2 percentage points, whereas Robinson won his seat by 3.2 percentage points. 

In addition, several candidates have already announced their campaign for the position of lieutenant governor. Democrats Rachel Hunt, Chris Rey, Raymond Smith Jr, and Delmonte Crawford, along with Republicans Hal Weatherman, Jim Kee, Peter Boykin, have all declared their intentions to pursue the office. These candidates cover a wide range of political experience, spanning Rachel Hunt, the daughter of former Governor Jim Hunt, who was a state representative for both the NC House and more recently serves in the NC Senate, to Delmonte Crawford, a civil rights activist and grassroots candidate who is just trying to break into the political field. With the election date set for November 5, 2024, just over a year and a half away, it is expected that more candidates will soon officially declare their governor candidacies to have time to fundraise and gain media attention. While the early polls have not indicated a majority for any one candidate, the party which controls the top office of North Carolina government will have the power to continue Governor Cooper’s legacy of progressive legislature or counteract his policies. As the candidate field crowds, it is important to research the candidates and their platforms and remember to vote on election day.