Candidates for North Carolina Governor
The Governor of the State of North Carolina is an elected constitutional officer, the head of the executive branch and the highest state office in North Carolina. The governor is popularly elected every four years and is limited to two consecutive terms. The 75th and current governor is Roy Cooper (D)
Josh Stein (D)
Josh Stein is currently serving in his second term as the North Carolina attorney general. In the past he worked as the campaign manager and deputy chief of staff for Sen. John Edwards (D-NC) and served as North Carolina’s deputy attorney general for consumer protection.
Stein earned his bachelor’s degree in history from Dartmouth College in 1988 along with his J.D. and his master’s of public policy from Harvard University in 1995.
He was born in Washington, D.C., grew up in Chapel Hill and Charlotte, and resides in Wake County.
Check his profile in Ballotpedia.
His website at www.joshstein.org.
Mark Robinson (R)
Mark Robinson is serving his first term as the North Carolina lieutenant governor. He was elected in 2020 and his current term ends in Jan. 1 2025. Robinson served in the U.S. Army Reserves, worked in furniture manufacturing and started a small daycare business with his wife.
Robinson attended North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and earned his bachelor’s degree in history from University of North Carolina in Greensboro in 2022. He is from Greensboro, N.C. and resides in Guilford County.
Check his profile in Ballotpedia.
His website is markrobinsonfornc.com
Wayne Turner (G), Mike Ross (L) and Vinny Smith (Constitution Party) are also running in the general election for Governor of North Carolina.
Candidates for North Carolina Lt. Governor
The office of lieutenant governor is the second-highest executive office in a state and is nominally subordinate to the governor. The main duty of the lieutenant governor is to act as governor should the governor be temporarily absent from the office. In addition, the lieutenant governor generally succeeds a governor who dies, resigns or is removed in trial by the legislative branch.
Rachel Hunt (D)
Rachel Hunt currently serves as the state senator for North Carolina District 42 and has previously served as a House representative for District 103. Hunt served on the board of directors of the North Carolina Foundation for Public School Children.
Hunt received her bachelor’s in political science and English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1987 and her J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1992. She is from Mecklenburg County.
Check her profile in Ballotpedia.
Her website is www.rachelhunt.com
Hal Weatherman (R)
Hal Weatherman founded the Electoral Education Foundation, a non-profit organization which documents and archives North Carolina voter information to document and track voter fraud. Weatherman served as the chief of staff for Lt. Gov. Dan Forest from 2013 to 2021 and U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick from 1999 to 2011. He also was the district director for Madison Cawthorn from 2021 to 2022. Weatherman earned his bachelor’s degree in religion from Wake Forest University and his master’s in communication from Wheaton College. Weatherman is from Wake County.
Check his profile in Ballotpedia.
His website is halweathermanfornc.com
Wayne Jones (Constitution Party) and Shannon Bray (L) are also running in the 2024 general election for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina.
Candidates for Secretary of State
The Secretary of State is an elected state executive position in the North Carolina state government. The secretary is a member of the Council of State and the head of the Department of the State, which oversees economic and business-related operations of the state government. The department provides the initial infrastructure for corporate organizations, addresses fraud by providing accurate and timely information, and issues professional credentials. The North Carolina Secretary of State does not oversee the state’s elections.
The secretary is elected by a statewide vote during presidential election years and serves for a four-year term.
Elaine Marshall (D)
Elaine Marshall is serving her seventh term as the North Carolina Secretary of State. Marshall served as the North Carolina senator for District 15 from 1993 to 1995. She has experience as a lawyer and teacher.
Marshall earned her bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Maryland in 1969 and her J.D. from Campbell University School of Law in 1981. Marshall was born and raised in Maryland and is from Wake County.
Check her profile in Ballotpedia.
Marshal does not have a website.
Chad Brown (R)
Chad Brown is serving his third term as the Gaston County commissioner. He played minor league baseball for the Cleveland Indians in 1990, the Toronto Blue Jays in 1992 and the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2000.
Brown received his bachelor’s in business administration from Montreat College in 2014 and his bachelor’s in marketing from North Greenville University in 1994. He is from Gaston County.
Check his profile in Ballotpedia.
His website is electchadbrown.com.
Candidates for Attorney General
North Carolina’s attorney general is the state’s chief legal advisor and heads the North Carolina Department of Justice. The office represents all state government departments, agencies, and commissions and provides legal opinions to the governor, General Assembly, and other state officials. The attorney general does not have the authority to prosecute specific crimes unless the local district attorney requests it. The office also does not have authority over local district attorneys, local law enforcement, or courts. The last time a Republican won an attorney general election in North Carolina was 1896.
Jeff Jackson (D)
Jackson represents North Carolina’s 14th Congressional District. Before his time in Congress, Jackson served in the North Carolina Senate and was a prosecutor in Gaston County. He also served in Afghanistan with Army Special Operations and is a major in the Army National Guard since 2002 and is part of the Womble Bond Dickinson business litigation counsel.
Jackson received his bachelor’s and master’s in philosophy from Emory University in 2004 followed by his J.D. at the University of North Carolina School of Law in 2009. He is from Cumberland County.
Check his profile in Ballotpedia.
His website is jeffjacksonnc.com.
Dan Bishop (R)
Dan Bishop, the current U.S. representative for North Carolina District 8. He is the former state representative for District 104 from 2015 to 2016 and the former state senator for District 39 from 2017 to 2019. Bishop worked as an attorney at Erwin, Bishop, Capitano & Moss and an associate at Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson P.A.
Bishop received his bachelor’s in business administration and management and his J.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1989 and 1990. He is from Mecklenburg County.
Check his profile in Ballotpedia.
His website is votedanbishop.com.
Candidates for State Auditor
The State Auditor is an elected state executive position in the North Carolina state government. The auditor is the head of the Office of the State Auditor and a member of the Council of State. The auditor’s office examines all facets of state government for the misuse of tax dollars through a variety of means including financial statement audits, performance audits, investigative reports, and information technology audits. The office also conducts special studies as requested by the general assembly. The auditor is elected by a statewide vote during presidential election years and serves for a four-year term.
Jessica Holmes (D)
Jessica Holmes is serving her first term as the North Carolina State Auditor. Holmes is the former chair of the Wake County Board of Commissioners for District 3.
Holmes earned her bachelor’s in political science from University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill in 2006 and her J.D. from UNC School of Law in 2009. She is from Wake County.
Check her profile in Ballotpedia.
Her website is jessicafornc.com.
Dave Boliek (R)
Dave Boliek served as the Cumberland County assistant district attorney from 1998 to 2001. He works as an attorney based out of Fayetteville, N.C. and is a trustee at UNC Chapel Hill.
Boliek received his bachelor’s in journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1990, his J.D. and M.B.A from Campbell University in 1997. He is from Durham County.
Check his profile in Ballotpedia.
His website is auditordave.com.
Candidates for State Treasurer
North Carolina’s treasurer is the state’s chief financial officer, official banker, and a member of the Council of State. The office’s duties include managing the state’s pension and healthcare plans, investments, and unclaimed property and providing financial support to local governments.
The treasurer is the sole fiduciary or trustee of the state’s pension plan. In a sole trustee model, a single individual is responsible for investing pension fund assets rather than a board or department. According to the National Association of State Retirement Administrators, North Carolina is one of three states with a sole trustee model.
Wesley Harris (D)
Wesley Harris, a Taylorsville, N.C. native, is serving his third term as the state representative for District 105. Harris lectured on macroeconomics and international developmental economics at the University of South Carolina from 2014 to 2015 and was an adjunct professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Harris earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2009 and his graduate and Ph.D. in economics from Clemson University in 2010 and 2014. He is from Mecklenburg County.
Check his profile in Ballotpedia.
His website is harrisfornc.com
Brad Briner (R)
Brad Briner received his bachelor’s in economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1999 and his Masters of Business Administration from Harvard Business School in 2006.
Briner worked as a managing director at Morgan Creek Capital Management, as co-chief investment officer at Willet Advisors and is a member of the Board of Trustees at UNC Chapel Hill, Phillips Exeter Academy and the Boston Omaha Corporation, a holding company. He is from Orange County.
His profile in Ballotpedia.
His website is bradbriner.com.
Candidates for Superintendent of Public Instruction
The North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction is an elected state executive position in the North Carolina state government. The superintendent is the secretary and chief administrative officer of the State Board of Education, the administrative head of the Department of Public Instruction, and a member of the Council of State. The superintendent and State Board of Education make up the leadership of the Department of Public Instruction, which is responsible for implementing the state’s public school laws for pre-K through 12th-grade public schools.
The superintendent is elected by a statewide vote during presidential election years and serves for a four-year term. The current officeholder is Catherine Truitt (R)
Mo Green (D)
Maurice “Mo” Green is the former superintendent of Guilford County Schools from 2008 to 2015. He served as the general counsel for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. He resigned from his position as the superintendent in 2015 to serve as the executive director of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, a non-profit based in Winston-Salem that focuses on state-level systemic change like advancing public education, fostering sustainable environment practices and promoting social and economic changes. Green received his bachelor’s in political science and economics and J.D. from Duke University in 1988 and 1991.
See his profile on Ballotpedia and answers on their survey.
Check his website at https://www.mogreenfornc.com/
Michelle Morrow (R)
Michelle Morrow works as a nurse at Shade Tree Academy, a private school for children who have experienced trauma or have a mental health diagnosis. Morrow also worked as a grassroots activist for the conservative PAC Liberty First Grassroots and as a legislative liaison for the Pavement Education Project. She is a homeschool educator for her children after serving as a high school teacher.
Nashua, New Hampshire native Michelle Morrow earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1993. She is from Wake County.
See Morrow profile in Ballotpedia.
Morrow does not have a website.
Candidates for Commissioner of Agriculture
The agriculture commissioner refers to the head of a state’s agriculture department, division, or agency. It is a state-level position within the executive branch. The title and duties of the office vary from state to state, but the general role is to oversee regulation of various facets of the agriculture industry as well as the promotion of state agribusiness. This state executive office is most commonly appointed rather than elected, with only 12 states using the ballot to select their agriculture commissioners.
Sarah Taber (D)
Sarah Taber was the director of food safety at Aquaponic Association from 2013 to 2016 and currently works at Boto Waterworks as a farm and food systems consultant. She earned her bachelor’s from Brigham Young University in 2005 and graduate and doctorate degrees in plant medicine from the University of Florida in 2011. Her career experience includes helping launch vegetable greenhouses and indoor farms, working as a postdoctoral researcher in beekeeping, auditing safety in food and agriculture systems, working as a farm and food systems trainer, and writing and producing the podcast Farm to Taber. She lives in Fayetteville.
Check her profile in Ballotpedia.
Her website is taberfornc.com.
Steve Troxler (R)
Steve Troxler is the current North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture. He assumed office in 2005. In 2012, Troxler assumed the position of president of the National Association of State Department of Agriculture. He is serving his fifth consecutive term as the Commissioner of Agriculture.
Guilford County native Troxler earned his bachelor’s in conservation from North Carolina State University in 1974. He is the founder and owner of Troxler Farms that focuses on growing tobacco, soybeans, wheat and other vegetables.
Check his profile in Ballotpedia.
His website is stevetroxler.com.
Sean Haugh (Libertarian Party) is also running in the 2024 general election for the Commissioner of Agriculture position.
Candidates for Commissioner of Labor
The North Carolina Commissioner of Labor is an elected state executive position in the state government. The commissioner is the head of the North Carolina Department of Labor and a member of the Council of State. The mission of the Department of Labor is “to foster a safe, healthy, fair and productive North Carolina.”[2] The department provides and encourages education and training, administers regulatory mandates related to labor, and enhances public confidence in the department.[2]
The commissioner is elected by a statewide vote during presidential election years and serves for a four-year term.
Braxton Winston II (D)
Camp Lejeune native Braxton Winston II was an at-large member of the Charlotte City Council in North Carolina from 2017 to 2023. He has worked in sports television and entertainment production industry and as a stagehand and a grip. He is a college counselor for Delaware College Scholars since 2015. Winston is a member of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Union.
Winston earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Davidson College. He is from Mecklenburg County.
Check his profile in Ballotpedia.
His website is votebraxton.com
Luke Farley (R)
Luke Farley currently works as a construction lawyer for Ellis & Winters LLP. He worked as a legal intern for Senator Andrew Brock (R-District 34) from 2007 to 2008; a judicial extern for Judge Robert N. Hunter, Jr. in 2009; a construction lawyer for Conner, Gwyn, Schenck PLLC and as the secretary for the Durham County Board of Elections.
Farley earned his bachelor’s in history and philosophy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his J.D. from the Wake Forest School of Law. He grew up in Onslow County and currently lives in Raleigh.
Check his profile in Ballotpedia.
His website is luke4labor.com.
Candidates for Commissioner of Insurance
The North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance is an elected state executive position in the state government. The commissioner is the head of the North Carolina Department of Insurance, serves as a member of the Council of State, and is also the State Fire Marshall. Among its duties, the Department of Insurance regulates the insurance industry, handles insurance-related complaints, and licenses insurance agents. Additionally, the department houses the Office of the State Fire Marshall, which interprets building codes, trains firefighters, and awards grants to fire and rescue departments for equipment.
The commissioner is elected by a statewide vote during presidential election years and serves for a four-year term.
Natasha Marcus (D)
Natasha Marcus is current North Carolina senator for District 41. She worked as a lawyer for Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard, LLP, a judicial clerk for Frank W. Bullock, Jr. in 2005 and is the assistant director of Development at the Ada Jenkins Center.
Marcus earned her bachelor’s in public policy from Hamilton College in 1991 and J.D. from the Duke School of Law in 1994. She is from Brockport, New York native and lives in Mecklenburg County.
Check her profile in Ballotpedia.
Her website is natashamarcus.com
Mike Causey (R)
Mike Causey is the current North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance. He has been in the position since 2017. His career experience includes owning an insurance agency and working for the North Carolina Department of Transportation as the Adopt-a-Highway coordinator for the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
Casey earned his associate degree from UNC-Charlotte and bachelor’s degree from High Point University. He is from Guilford County.
Check his profile in Ballotpedia.
His website is mikecauseync.com/about/
The profiles were written for The Smoky Mountain News as part of Atkinson’s internship work.
