Source: NC Newsline
In this year’s election, North Carolina Council of State races took center stage, as voters rejected extreme candidates for many of the high-profile seats.
The NCGOP ran an extreme slate of candidates in the gubernatorial, attorney general, and superintendent of public instruction races. Most notably, Mark Robinson and Michele Morrow made national headlines for their highly controversial and divisive policy positions.
Within the 10 Council of State seats, Democrats flipped two offices — lieutenant governor and superintendent of public instruction — while Republicans flipped the state auditor’s office.
As a result, the council will be split between five Democrats and five Republicans.
Here’s a look at the newly elected Democratic members:
For the governor seat, Attorney General Josh Stein defeated Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson by nearly 15% in what was expected to be one of the most competitive gubernatorial races nationwide, according to NC Newsline.
“The people of North Carolina resoundingly embraced a vision that’s optimistic, forward-looking and welcoming, a vision that’s about creating opportunity for every North Carolinian,” AG Stein told supporters in his victory speech. “We chose hope over hate, competence over chaos, decency over division. That’s who we are as North Carolinians.”
Stein’s win retains Democratic veto power over the Republican-led state legislature – potentially stopping numerous Trump-like extreme laws from being enacted.
State Sen. Rachel Hunt, who has represented Mecklenburg County in the North Carolina Senate since 2023, won the lieutenant governor seat over Republican nominee Hal Weatherman.
“We have made history together by taking back the Lieutenant Governor’s office after 12 long years of extreme Republican control!” State Sen. Hunt stated in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
As lieutenant governor, Hunt will preside over the state Senate and cast tie-breaking votes in the event the chamber becomes deadlocked on legislation.
For state attorney general, U.S. Rep. Jeff Jackson beat fellow outgoing member of Congress Dan Bishop. Jackson’s win continues a long history of Democratic control of the attorney general seat since the mid-1970s.
Experts have warned that Democratic governors and state attorneys general could be the last line of defense when Trump takes power in January and begins implementing his extremist agenda.
In a massive win for educators across the state, Mo Green defeated Republican Michele Morrow in the superintendent of public instruction race. Morrow’s past actions, participation in Jan 6, and extreme rhetoric brought national attention to the state race.
Voters rejected Morrow’s extremism and opt-ed for Green’s wealth of experience as a superintendent of Guilford County Public Schools, the third largest district in the state, and his proven commitment to invest in improving public education.
