REPUBLICAN

Robinson had little political experience prior to being a surprise winner in the Republican primary for lieutenant governor in 2020. He served in the Army reserves and held a number of different jobs as a factory and restaurant shift worker. He attracted attention when he gave a short impassioned speech about conservative ideology in which he advocated for 2nd Amendment freedoms to the Greensboro City Council in April 2018. He says he wants to strengthen the economy by reducing regulations and cutting taxes, improve education by raising teacher pay and reduce violent crime by supporting law enforcement. He often receives press for controversial statements about QAnon, the LGBTQ community and gender roles. In September 2024, top advisors left his campaign after CNN linked him to inflammatory and lewd comments more than 10 years ago on a porn site chat room, including that he referred to himself as a "Black Nazi." He denied he was behind the posts and sued CNN for defamation, saying he was a victim of a "high-tech lynching." While he has had strong anti-abortion views in the past in spite of admitting his wife had an abortion, he has reportedly softened them; he says he now supports the state’s current 12-week ban. He has also faced a number of financial difficulties; he has faced liens due to non-payment of taxes, he has been charged with writing bad checks and he has been accused of not paying due rent. If elected, he would be North Carolina’s first Black governor. He completed a bachelor’s degree from UNC Greensboro in 2022 while he was the N.C. lieutenant governor. (Age 55)

Candidate Website

Candidate questionnaire (News & Observer)

LIBERTARIAN

Ross is a certified financial planner and a longtime Charlotte-area resident. He says he is running “to strip away the bureaucratic lard wrapped in an administrative nightmare.” The top two issues listed on his website are transparent government for the people with a mandate for public commentary on proposed laws and free-market education with “100% equitable distribution among all the students.” Top issues of the Libertarian platform such as privacy and “personal relationships” (including LGBTQ+ equality) are not mentioned on his site. His website domain name is “firetheuniparty.com.” In an email to The Charlotte Ledger/The Assembly, he said he is running “to “Fire the Uniparty”: the “‘lesser of two evils’ argument is leaving us with poor leadership and the inability to control what’s best for us, financially and through our life’s pursuits.” He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Phoenix. (Age ~41)

Candidate Website

Candidate Q&A (Charlotte Ledger)

Candidate questionnaire (News & Observer)

CONSTITUTION

Smith is a small business owner who runs the North Carolina Esports Academy in Cary with his son. His platform advocates protecting “all life without exception,” phasing out property taxes, protecting veterans, providing mandatory health and nutrition classes for K-12 as a way to improve healthcare and giving parents control over immunizations. The Constitution Party advocates for states' rights and the right to bear arms. The party wants to eliminate federal funding for education and Social Security. He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and father of two. He voted in the Libertarian primary in 2020. (Age ~54) 

Candidate Website

Candidate Q&A (Charlotte Ledger)

Candidate questionnaire (News & Observer)

DEMOCRAT

Stein is the current state attorney general and the son of a Charlotte civil rights lawyer. On his website, he says that he has “taken on powerful special interests,” such as Duke Energy with a coal ash settlement and Juul, “winning $40 million” to fight teen vaping. The top priorities he lists on his website for this election are to make the economy work for everyone (by lowering costs of medicine, groceries and housing), improving education (meaningful teacher pay raises and more investment in critical staff like nurses and bus drivers), building a strong workforce (supporting no-cost community college), keeping North Carolinians safe (investing in law enforcement) and addressing affordable housing. Conservative critics say that as attorney general, Stein didn't adequately defend laws that he disagreed with, such as a measure barring felons from voting. Stein has declined offers to debate. If elected, he would be North Carolina’s first Jewish governor. Stein is a graduate of Dartmouth College and Harvard Law School. (Age 57)

Candidate Website

Candidate questionnaire (News & Observer)

GREEN

Turner is a “former engineer and plant manager” who says he has been involved with the Green party for decades. This is his first time running for office. On his website, he says he will advocate for "fair pay and benefits for employees" as well as "worker cooperatives" and "state-owned public banks." Regarding education, he wants "stricter charter school laws" as well as a number of environmental issues like funding the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, restricting wetland development and reducing chemical spills into streams and rivers. He also wants to "abolish prisons" and "repeal right-to-work" laws. He is a graduate of N.C. State University and lives in Pittsboro. (Age ~69)

Candidate Website

Candidate Q&A (Charlotte Ledger)

Candidate questionnaire (News & Observer)

DEMOCRAT

Hunt represented Mecklenburg County in the N.C. House for 4 years and then served as a state senator. She is the daughter of Jim Hunt, the longest-serving governor in N.C. history. She says on her website that her priorities are to invest in public schools, expand access to health care and fight for small-town economies, supporting broadband internet in particular. She is vocal about opposing “MAGA politicians” and “their attempts to eliminate freedoms N.C. women have had for more than 50 years.” She is also a supporter of “common sense red flag laws” on guns and opposes “taxpayer dollars” going to “unproven and unaccountable private schools.” Hunt is a lawyer by training and according to her LinkedIn profile runs a college consulting business. She has a bachelor’s from UNC Chapel Hill and a JD from the University of South Carolina. (Age 59)

Candidate Website

CONSTITUTION CANDIDATE

There is little we could find about this candidate other than that he appears to live in Cary and is a white male likely in his 70s. He was quoted in The Carolina Journal on his decision to run: “I was already pretty much disgusted with the two-party system, and lo and behold, walked through the gun show, ran into Kevin Hayes [Constitution Party U.S. Congress District 6 candidate], talked to him, and saw his literature and their core values.” The Constitution Party sought to impeach Gov. Roy Cooper in 2020 during the pandemic. 

REPUBLICAN

Weatherman is the former chief of staff to N.C. politicians (former Lt. Gov. Dan Forest and Forest’s mother, former Charlotte Mayor and U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick). He is also the former district director for former U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn and is the founder of a non-profit promoting election integrity. He says he is tired of “money-driven campaigns” and wants to paint an “optimistic vision.” He says his values, both fiscal and social, are conservative. He says he wants to reduce the stigma of “working in the trades” and promote the state’s apprenticeship program. He says he will support the 2nd Amendment and “accept no restrictions.” He is a graduate of Wake Forest and father of three. As an undergraduate at Wake Forest, he wrote newspaper columns advocating a dry campus to reduce the incidence of date rape and denouncing abortion. (Age ~50s)

Candidate Website

LIBERTARIAN

Bray is a replacement candidate for Dee Watson, who was slated to be the Libertarian candidate for lieutenant governor but withdrew. Bray previously ran for U.S. Senate in 2020 and 2022 as well as for N.C. governor this past primary (he lost to Mike Ross). His website lists putting kids first and protecting parental rights, providing affordable healthcare options and limiting anti-competitive business regulation. He believes that abortion should be legal through 16 weeks and that marijuana should be decriminalized. He is also a supporter of ranked choice voting. In previous elections, his primary message was about privacy, but that topic is not mentioned on his site in this election even though it is one of the top issues of the Libertarian platform. On his LinkedIn page, he lists that he is a Ph.D. student in computer science and that he is currently working on something in stealth mode. He was arrested in 2023 in Holly Springs for "assaults on a female" and threatening his wife. During that arrest, officers found marijuana-growing equipment at his house and charged him with manufacturing marijuana, according to news reports. He lives in the Raleigh area and is the father of three. (Age ~52) 

Candidate Website

DEMOCRAT

Jackson is a former assistant district attorney for Gaston County and was a state senator representing parts of Mecklenburg County from 2014 to 2022. He is a veteran and member of the Army National Guard; he enlisted after 9/11 and served in Afghanistan. He was elected to U.S. House District 14 in 2022 after an unsuccessful bid for a U.S. Senate seat (where Cheri Beasley was ultimately the Democratic nominee). He lists a number of accomplishments on his website, including fighting against gerrymandering, standing against discriminatory legislation like HB2, supporting investments in early childhood education, calling for raising teacher pay and expanding Medicaid, and passing reforms for the criminal justice system. As attorney general, he wants to go after companies that “use illegal medical debt practices or health care systems that wrongfully lower their standards of care.” He is the father of three and known for his popular social media following, which has several explainer videos about Congressional proceedings, though TikTok users criticized him for voting to ban TikTok over national security concerns. Jackson completed his bachelor’s and master’s at Emory and received his JD from UNC Chapel Hill.  (Age 41)

Candidate Website

Candidate Q&A (Charlotte Ledger)

Candidate questionnaire (News & Observer)

REPUBLICAN

Bishop calls himself “one of the toughest and most outspoken conservatives in Congress.” He was an N.C. Senator, N.C. House member and a Mecklenburg County commissioner for years. He won a special election against Dan McCready in 2019 to serve as a U.S. Congressman after the N.C. State Board of Elections threw out the prior election results due to fraud. On his website, he says he believes that Gov. Roy Cooper and Attorney General Josh Stein “spread liberal propaganda” and says he has “fought the Biden administration’s dangerous policies.” He was a commercial litigator in his past. Bishop is also known for being the “architect of HB2,” the so-called “bathroom bill” in 2016 that required people to use public restrooms corresponding to their gender at birth and other provisions criticized by LGBTQ advocates. (It was partially repealed in a bipartisan compromise in 2017.) Bishop has been criticized by the Charlotte Observer for rhetoric that is “unbecoming of a member of Congress” including name-calling. He has a bachelor’s and JD from UNC Chapel Hill; his son is also currently completing his JD there now. (Age 60)

Candidate Website

Candidate questionnaire (News & Observer)

LIBERTARIAN

Drach is a certified management accountant and appears to be a chief information officer for a door manufacturing company. He says he has an accounting background and believes that an auditor that is affiliated with one of the major political parties faces conflicts of interest. He responded to The Charlotte Ledger/The Assembly’s question on what voters should know about him with the following response: “I am the only certified accountant for State Auditor. Both the other candidates are lawyers. When you hire an auditor, do you want the accountant, or a lawyer?” He is a graduate of the College of William and Mary and has an MBA from Stanford. He was a Peace Corps volunteer in Tanzania in his 20s and lives in Wilmington. (Age ~64) 

Candidate Website

Candidate Q&A (Charlotte Ledger)

Candidate questionnaire (News & Observer)

DEMOCRAT

Holmes is the current state auditor and was the first African-American woman to hold the role; she was appointed to the role after the departure of longtime auditor Beth Wood, who resigned following scandals surrounding the personal use of state property and a hit-and-run. Holmes previously ran for N.C. Commissioner of Labor in 2020 and lost by fewer than 100,000 votes. In why she is running for the auditor role, Holmes says: “I’m unbossed, unbought and most importantly for this role, I understand the value of a dollar and impact of government services on our everyday lives.” She cites accountability, integrity and transparency as her key priorities. She has taught at N.C. State (in the Department of Social Work) and was the youngest commissioner elected to the Wake County Board of Commissioners in 2014. She holds her bachelor’s and JD from UNC Chapel Hill. (Age ~40)

Candidate Website

Video: Candidate interview with PBS NC

REPUBLICAN

Boliek says he will “be the auditor who looks after your money.” He is a North Carolina native who was a former assistant district attorney in Cumberland County and a lawyer in private practice. Boliek is a trustee of UNC Chapel Hill. He is a former Democrat, according to Axios Raleigh. In an email to The Ledger, he said that voters should pick him because “My experience as a prosecutor, cleaning up a multi-billion dollar budget and having the courage to stand firm in the face of fierce opposition to affect change make me the best candidate to lead an office that is currently in desperate need of reform and competent leadership.” He was one of four trustees who voted against the tenure of Nicole Hannah-Jones, the journalist who was criticized by conservatives who dismissed her 1619 project as“junk history.” He has a bachelor’s from UNC Chapel Hill and received his JD/MBA from Campbell. (Age 56)

Candidate Website

Candidate Q&A (Charlotte Ledger)

Candidate questionnaire (News & Observer)

Video: Candidate interview with PBS NC

DEMOCRAT

Green was the superintendent of Guilford County Schools, a school board attorney for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and the CEO of a grant-making organization supporting public schools. He calls himself “a champion of public education in North Carolina.” In an email to The Ledger, he said he is running because he is “deeply concerned about the current direction of the N.C. public school system.” The top pillars listed on his site are to prepare each student for the next phase of their life, invest fully in public education, revere public school educators and enhance parent and community support. He raised $100k within the first 10 days of announcing his candidacy in October and according to Transparency USA, he has raised significantly more than his opponent to date. He lost his father at the age of 10, is a graduate of Duke University (both undergraduate and law school), and has two adult children. (Age 56)

Candidate Website

Candidate Q&A

REPUBLICAN

Morrow is a stay-at-home mother of five, a nurse and homeschool teacher. She was a surprise winner in the March primary, defeating the incumbent Republican Catherine Truitt. Morrow says on her campaign website that classrooms in North Carolina are “in crisis.” In the list of her goals as superintendent, ending indoctrination takes first place, followed by promoting respect and safety and demanding math and reading mastery. Morrow ran for the Wake County School Board in 2022, but she fell short. In the election for the school board, WRAL reported that she said she considered public schools to be “socialism centers” and “indoctrination centers,” She also said teachers should be allowed to have guns in class. She has said that she sarcastically called for the execution of Barack Obama. She also attended the January 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol. She recently told an undercover “operative” at the Republican National Convention that “elective Bible classes” should be available in public schools. (Age 53)

Candidate Website

LIBERTARIAN

Haugh has run for a number of roles including U.S. Senate and House 31. He says he wants to “get government out of the way.” He ran for House District 31 in 2022 and much of his website has not been updated since. He says he was a pizza delivery driver for seven years which instructed him on “how people live.” It is unclear what his qualifications are for Commissioner of Agriculture as there is no other work or educational experience cited on his website. He responded to The Charlotte Ledger’s questionnaire by saying he was “retired and living in Durham.” On his reason for running, he said the following: “My campaign is intended to send a message to our General Assembly to fully legalize marijuana. If you want legal marijuana in N.C., vote for me.” (Age 63)

Candidate Website

Candidate Q&A

Candidate questionnaire (News & Observer)

DEMOCRAT

Taber is a consultant in the farming industry and the host of a podcast that talks about the U.S. food supply. She wants to diversify the N.C. agriculture industry away from corn and tobacco to higher value fruits and vegetables, invest in rural infrastructure and promote employee-owned coops. Some of her critics have raised questions about whether she is a “practicing farmer” as required by state law, as opposed to a food safety consultant, and she has refused media requests to specify where her farm is or whether it is her 1/4-acre lot in Fayetteville. She says that during incumbent Steve Troxler’s tenure, the farm sector “has shrunk by one-fifth” and that he “cozies up to large food companies." She is an advocate of legalizing cannabis and increasing agricultural infrastructure (e.g. factories). She received a Doctor of Plant Medicine, Plant Protection and Integrated Pest Management from the University of Florida. (Age 41)

Candidate Website

Candidate Q&A

Candidate questionnaire (News & Observer)

REPUBLICAN

Troxler has served as the N.C. Commissioner of Agriculture for nearly two decades. Troxler has spent his life focused on agriculture as the founder and operator of his family-owned farm, Troxler Farms, in Guilford County (Greensboro area). He is the past president of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, former chairman of NASDA’s Food Regulation and Nutrition Committee, and serves on the boards of the N.C. Foundation for Soil and Water Conservation, the Rural Economic Development Center and the N.C. Biotechnology Center. While serving as Commissioner, the value of the agriculture industry in North Carolina has increased by nearly $45 billion, according to a speech Troxler made at the N.C. Farm Bureau’s annual meeting in Greensboro. In 1974, Troxler graduated from N.C. State University with a B.S. in conservation and a concentration in environmental studies. He is a grandfather. (Age 72)

Candidate Website

DEMOCRAT

Marcus has represented Mecklenburg County in the N.C. Senate since 2019. She was drawn out of her current N.C. Senate district when the Republican-led General Assembly drew a new map (she would have had to move to run in the current District 41). She is a former litigation attorney and worked at a non-profit to help people achieve financial security. She says she is “a strong advocate for affordable health care insurance, public schools, reproductive freedom, clean energy, common sense gun safety reform, fair elections, better wages for working people, and environmental policies to combat climate change.” She believes the current Commissioner Causey has enabled large increases to homeowner insurance rates, and she will work to deliver “affordable, reliable insurance coverage” for all North Carolinians for their homes, vehicles, businesses, and healthcare. She says she is a consistent “champion for people over corporations” and is endorsed by Jeff Jackson. In an email to The Ledger, she said, “I’m in elected office not for personal benefit, but to be a public servant and speak up for those who are marginalized, unrepresented, treated unfairly or taken advantage of by the government.” She would be the first woman elected to be N.C. Commissioner of Insurance. She has a video on her website speaking out against N.C.’s abortion restrictions. (Age 54)

Candidate Website

Candidate Q&A

Video: Candidate interview with PBS NC

REPUBLICAN

Causey is the incumbent N.C. Commissioner of Insurance who has been in office since 2017. He ran for the office unsuccessfully four times prior to that. Causey is a military veteran and former insurance agency owner. According to his website, Causey wants to reform the Rate Bureau (“N.C. is the only remaining state with a Rate Bureau”), oppose rate hikes, crack down on insurance fraud, deliver citizen-friendly service, double the number of fraud and abuse investigators and ensure fire departments are inspected. He was recently accused of employing friends and donors in questionable roles, including as a driver. He was also involved in a bribery case from his first term, in which he wore a wire for the FBI. He has a bachelor’s and MBA from High Point University and is from Guilford County. He played trombone in the Army band. (Age 73)

Candidate Website

Video: Candidate interview with PBS NC

REPUBLICAN

Farley is a lawyer in the construction industry and volunteers “for conservative causes.” He says he “wants North Carolina to be the safest place to work and the best place to do business in the country.” He continues to say that “he'll fight every day for free enterprise, common sense regulation, and cutting red tape.” The top issues cited on his website are medical freedom for healthcare workers (e.g. no mandatory vaccines), workforce development with vocational training, and right-to-work freedoms (e.g. no mandatory union memberships). Farley is endorsed by former N.C. Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry. He is an N.C. native, a graduate of UNC Chapel Hill and Wake Forest School of Law, and a father. (Age ~36)

Candidate Website

DEMOCRAT

Winston is a union stagehand and first became famous in Charlotte as a “citizen journalist” during the Keith Lamont Scott riots. He ran for city council shortly thereafter. He served on the Charlotte City Council as an at-large member from 2017 to 2023. He says he wants to ensure that N.C. is the “#1 state for business AND workers.” Key issues cited on his website are safe working conditions including heat safety, fair pay, and supporting the "whole worker" including reducing food deserts and supporting workforce training. He is a graduate of Davidson College and a former football player. He has faced a few minor legal skirmishes over the years, including an arrest during the George Floyd protests. (Age ~41)

Candidate Website

DEMOCRAT

Marshall was the first woman elected to the Council of State in 1996 and has been in the N.C. Secretary of State role since then. She was a member of the N.C. Senate prior to that. She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland and a JD from Campbell University when the law school initially opened. She grew up on a family farm and was heavily involved in 4H in her childhood. She was a lawyer in private practice and a small business owner in her past. In her role as Secretary of State, she says that she has made it easier to start a business in North Carolina by leveraging online processes and that she is particularly focused on helping businesses in rural counties, where she says people often don't know the resources available to them. She ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate in 2010. (Age 79)

Candidate Website

Candidate Q&A

Candidate questionnaire (News & Observer)

REPUBLICAN

Brown is a Gastonia native who was the mayor of Stanley (Gaston County, population ~4000) and then on the county commission. He describes himself as “Christian, pro-life, pro-2nd amendment and conservative.” The top issues listed on his site include fair elections, protecting small businesses and protecting consumers against fraud and identity theft. He mentions Christianity several times on his site and on the issues page says he wants to “restore traditional Christian values and beliefs in the face of modern cultural and political change.” He ran for N.C. Secretary of State in 2020 and placed second in the primary. He also says he is friends with gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson. (Age 53)

Candidate Website

Candidate Q&A

Candidate questionnaire (News & Observer)

DEMOCRAT

Harris has represented Mecklenburg County in the N.C. House since 2019. He has a Ph.D. in economics from Clemson and says on his website that he “has become the leading messenger and policy expert for economic and financial issues in the General Assembly.” The key issues he says he wants to focus on are protecting N.C.’s bond ratings, increasing capacity for investment in infrastructure that improves people's lives and ensuring a secure retirement for state employees. His dissertation in 2014 was on why urban poor tend to vote Democratic but not rural poor. Harris said in state filings that he doesn't hold shares in public or private companies or have real estate holdings of more than $10,000, which his opponent criticized as showing inexperience with investing. Harris completed his bachelor’s at UNC Chapel Hill and lives in Charlotte’s Ballantyne area. (Age 37)

Candidate Website

Candidate Q&A

REPUBLICAN

Briner managed investments for former New York City mayor and presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg. He recently joined the board of trustees at UNC Chapel Hill for a four-year term. He also received his BA from there and an MBA from Harvard. His campaign slogan is “profits not woke politics.” He believes the state’s retirement fund is underperforming relative to peers and that he plans to invest in “other asset classes” other than bonds and cash, which is where much of the investment is now. He is a former Morehead-Cain Scholar, lives in Chapel Hill and has four children. He went to a boarding school (Exeter) for high school and is from Texas. (Age 46)

Candidate Website

Candidate Q&A

REPUBLICAN

Griffin was previously in the district attorney’s office of Wake County and then was appointed to be a District Court judge. He was elected to the N.C. Court of Appeals in 2020. He lists “protecting our constitution, integrity in the courtroom and defending the rule of law” on his website. Griffin has a bachelor’s from UNC Chapel Hill and a JD from N.C. Central University. He is an Army veteran and father of one. He was formerly a high school football player in Nash County. (Age 43)

Candidate Website

Candidate Q&A (Charlotte Ledger)

Candidate questionnaire (News & Observer)

DEMOCRAT

Riggs is an incumbent associate justice. on the N.C. Supreme Court She was appointed by Gov. Roy Cooper to the seat in 2023. She was formerly on the N.C. Court of Appeals and before that worked at a non-profit that advocates for voting rights. She has said, “I am the only woman of childbearing age on any of the appellate courts and diverse courts that reflect the living experience of all North Carolinians are good courts.” She received a bachelor’s, master’s and JD from the University of Florida. (Age 42)

Candidate Website

Candidate Q&A (Charlotte Ledger)

Candidate questionnaire (News & Observer)

DEMOCRAT

Thompson is an incumbent who was appointed to the seat by Gov. Roy Cooper in early 2024. She is a former superior and district court judge. She is a graduate of Hampton and has a JD from the N.C. Central School of Law. (Age 56)

Candidate Website

Candidate Q&A (Charlotte Ledger)

Candidate questionnaire (News & Observer)

REPUBLICAN

Murry describes himself as a "preacher's kid and a teacher's kid.” He was slated to run for N.C. attorney general against Dan Bishop in the Republican primary, but then chose to run for the appellate court judge role instead. On his website, he says he is a “common sense conservative that will uphold the Constitution.” He is a former Morrisville Town Council member (in Wake County) and an N.C. state representative who sponsored legislation to check voter IDs. He has a pharmacy degree from the University of Arkansas and a JD from Campbell University (where he says he ranked 24 of 108 students). He is the father of three. (Age ~47)

Candidate Website

Candidate questionnaire (News & Observer)

DEMOCRAT

Eldred is an appellate attorney in private practice in Chapel Hill and has been practicing law for 17 years. He is running because he wants to "preserve the rights of all North Carolinians and restore balance to the courts." He was a former clerk for the N.C. Court of Appeals. He has a bachelor's and JD from UNC Chapel Hill. (Age ~51)

Candidate Website

Candidate Q&A (Charlotte Ledger)

Candidate questionnaire (News & Observer)

REPUBLICAN

Zachary is an incumbent who has served in the role for eight years. She has her JD from Harvard and a bachelor's from Michigan State. Her husband was a state representative and she lives in Yadkin County, where she practiced law for many years. (Age ~62)

Candidate Website

Candidate Q&A (Charlotte Ledger)

Candidate questionnaire (News & Observer)