Josh Stein (D), Mark K. Robinson (R), Wayne Turner (G), and Mike Ross (L) are running in the general election for Governor of North Carolina on November 5, 2024. Incumbent Governor Roy Cooper (D) is term-limited.
Politico called the race the most important and likely the most expensive governor’s race of 2024. The election will help determine North Carolina’s trifecta status. Heading into the 2024 election, Republicans have majorities in both chambers of the North Carolina General Assembly. Republicans are looking to win a trifecta while Democrats are looking to preserve the state’s divided government.
Stein was elected as the state’s attorney general in 2016 and is a former state senator. Before holding public office, he was a lawyer.
Stein is campaigning on public education, his plans for economic development, and his record as attorney general. His campaign website says, “As Attorney General, I have fought for the people of North Carolina for safer communities, stronger schools, healthier families, and personal freedom. And that’s what I’ll do as Governor.” Oh his campaign website, Stein says he secured more than $50 billion nationally to bring opioid addiction treatment and recovery services to North Carolina and eliminated the state’s rape kit backlog.
Stein said, “Robinson wants to tell you who you can marry, when you’ll be pregnant, and who you should hate. I’m running for Governor because I believe in a very different North Carolina. One rooted in our shared values of freedom, justice, and opportunity for everyone.”
Robinson was elected lietenant governor in 2020 after a speech he made about gun laws at a Greensboro City Council meeting in 2018 received millions of views online. Before holding public office, he served in the U.S. Army Reserve and was a factory worker.
Robinson highlighted his personal experience growing up poor and positioned himself as different from the typical politician: “North Carolina doesn’t need more slick politicians who use work boots and Carhartt jackets as props in TV ads. They’re just pretending to be one of us. You see, it doesn’t take an Ivy League education to understand the problems we’re facing. What it takes is somebody with a backbone and a vision who cares about serving instead of climbing the political ladder, I’m running for Governor because we deserve to be represented by someone who’s actually lived like us.”
Robinson said he has “championed more transparency for parents in their children’s education, education options, and ensuring schools are safe” and has “been an outspoken supporter of law enforcement, cutting taxes for all hardworking North Carolinians, and making NC the gold standard for veterans’ care.” As lieutenant governor, Robinson also said he secured more than $11 million dollars in the state budget for apprentice programs and partnered with parents, students, and teachers to find more than 500 examples of what he said were inappropriate materials in classrooms.
In 2020, Donald Trump (R) carried North Carolina, defeating Joe Biden (D) 49.9% to 48.6%. That same year Cooperwas re-elected governor, defeating Dan Forest (R) 51.5% to 47.0%. In six of the last eight election years, candidates from opposing parties have won in North Carolina’s presidential and gubernatorial elections. Since 1992, Democrats have won seven gubernatorial elections and Republicans have won seven presidential elections in North Carolina.