CHARLOTTE, N.C—North Carolinians on both sides of the political aisle have made their pick for governor.
Both Republicans and Democrats headed to the polls in the swing state on March 5 and selected their picks not only for president but also for congressional representatives, the governor, and the attorney general.
Most eyes were on the presidential results as former President Donald Trump seeks to solidify his position as the likely nominee, and President Trump ultimately triumphed over challenger Nikki Haley in the state.
But the down-ballot races are also politically loaded.
Robinson, Stein Set for November Face-Off
The big state-level prize in play was the nomination for governor.The state’s top spot is currently occupied by Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, who’s term-limited—which means that neither side will enjoy an incumbent advantage later this year.
Still, the primary results for both sides were largely unsurprising.
On the Republican side, current North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson faced off against attorney Bill Graham and State Treasurer Dale Folwell.
Mr. Robinson, who has President Trump’s backing, unsurprisingly emerged victorious from a contest that all polls indicated he was on track to win.
The candidate has enjoyed a meteoric rise in the past half decade: six years ago, he was a furniture manufacturer. But after he delivered a speech in defense of gun rights during a 2018 city council meeting, Mr. Robinson went viral and was slated by Republicans as a potential political player.
After clinching the Republican nomination for North Carolina governor, candidate Mark Robinson spoke to his supporters at a Greensboro, North Carolina, watch party.
Mr. Robinson leads by nearly 40 points over his closest rival, with more than 95 percent reporting in a campaign that’s been marked by mudslinging and attacks.
But Mr. Robinson said he doesn’t plan to follow suit in his general election campaign, where he’ll be facing off against Democratic nominee Josh Stein, the state attorney general.
“In this general election, we’re not gonna allow these folks to drag this campaign into the mud,” Mr. Robinson said. “Those who wanna go into the mud, feel free—we’re going toward the substantive issues that North Carolinians face.”
He cited education and the “economic doldrums” facing the state as key examples of these “substantive issues.”
“The vision, the call, the mission is to grow this state,” he said.
“This state has been doggone good to me,” he added, citing his meteoric rise from furniture manufacturer to Republican nominee for governor. “It’s time for me to repay the debt.”
Meanwhile, with Mr. Cooper set to leave office at the end of his current term, Democrats also had to select a new standard bearer.
This race was far less contested than on the Republican side.
Democratic state Attorney General Josh Stein faced off against state Supreme Court Justice Mike Morgan for the Democratic nomination.
Most early polling showed an insurmountable lead for Mr. Stein, and he indeed ended up clinching the nomination.
With the end of the primary, the ballot is set for a hard-fought general election later this year, and the consequences of that contest could have presidential repercussions in the state which delivered President Trump his thinnest 2020 victory over President Joe Biden.
Attorney General
North Carolinians also selected their picks for attorney general.The state attorney general is the top legal officer in the state, and provides legal counsel and advice to the governor, legislature, and other public officials.
At least one of the results was known in advance of the polls closing: Rep. Dan Bishop (R-N.C.) will be the Republican nominee for attorney general after he was the only person to file for the job ahead of the deadline, leading the state to cancel the Republican attorney general primary.
On the Democratic side, the battle for attorney general was more contested, and there was no clear front-runner ahead of the vote.
Three Democrats were vying for the nomination: Rep. Jeff Jackson (D-N.C.), who’s become famous for TikTok videos explaining Washington, Durham County District Attorney Satana Deberry, and Fayetteville attorney Tim Dunn.
At the time of publication, the race has been called for Mr. Jackson, who has a double-digit lead over his closest competitor.
