(The Center Square) – Josh Stein is the third consecutive Democratic attorney general to ascend to governor of North Carolina.
Stein, 58, defeated Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson on Tuesday. The race was called by multiple outlets from just minutes after the polls closed through the next 45 minutes.
“We chose hope over hate,” Stein said in his victory speech. “Competence over chaos. Decency over division. That’s who we are as North Carolinians, and I’m so honored you’ve elected me to be your next governor.”
With 100% of the precincts reporting, Stein was leading 54.8%-40.2% with more than 5.6 million votes counted. Statewide turnout was 73%, up from just under 69% in 2016 and down from more than 75% four years ago.
Stein joins Mike Easley (attorney general 1993-2001, governor 2001-09) and Roy Cooper (attorney general 2001-17, governor 2017-present) in keeping a 21st century pattern alive.
Three third-party candidates were also on the ballot. Libertarian candidate Mike Ross was at about 3%. The Constitution Party’s Vinny Smith and Green Party’s Wayne Turner were each below 1%.
Labeled one of the most expensive and competitive governor’s races in the nation, both candidates brought in millions of dollars. Stein’s fundraising more than doubled Robinson.
Robinson, on Sept. 19, fell victim to reporting by CNN involving a porn site chat room more than a decade ago long before he rose to viral fame on the strength of speaking to the Greensboro City Council during time for public comments.
Robinson on Tuesday night said, “My head is held high. The reason why my head is held high is because I ran a race where I did not have to lie. I did not have to tell half-truths. I did not have to spend millions and millions of dollars demonizing anyone.”
Stein and Robinson each chased historical firsts. The governor’s race had never been won by a person of Jewish faith or a Black, respectively.
The governor’s office – consecutive terms could not be served until the 1977 change in the constitution – has had a Republican only three times since Daniel Lindsay Russell won the 1896 election. James Holshouser couldn’t run for reelection in 1976, Jim Martin won terms in 1984 and ’88, and Pat McCrory was only one term when he lost in 2016 to Cooper by 10,277 votes of more than 4.7 million cast.
Stein, Ivy League educated at Dartmouth and Harvard, won election to the state Senate in 2008. He resigned the post in March 2016, successfully campaigning and winning election as the attorney general.
He campaigned on prioritizing the economy, improving education, and adding jobs, along with more progressive goals like abortion access and LGBTQ+ rights.
Robinson, 56, campaigned on backing law enforcement, reducing violent crime, investing in education including teacher pay, and care for veterans. He proposed to reduce inflation, reform regulations and cut taxes for both families and businesses.
