The presidential election will hog the spotlight in North Carolina on Nov. 5.
But other key races could have just as significant an impact on the lives of North Carolinians. The question: Will voters actually get far enough down the ballot to find out which seats are up for grabs.
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Voters will be picking a new governor, a new lieutenant governor and other statewide offices that split the responsibilities of running North Carolina's executive branch. The positions are known, collectively, as the Council of State.
The officials oversee tens of thousands of employees across the state government. All 10 seats are up for election every four years, and a majority of the offices will be held by new people in January due to a variety of factors including scandal, resignation, primary losses and political musical chairs among the incumbents.
Some voters don't make a choice in every race on the ballot, leading to a significant drop-off down the ballot. In 2020, for example, 174,986 fewer voters participated in the state treasurer race than they did in the presidential election.
The election for labor commissioner was decided by 89,091 votes, but 181,701 people who cast a ballot in the election did not make a choice in that race.
Concerns about ballot fatigue is, in part, why a group of down-ballot Republican candidates pooled resources earlier this year on a get-out-the-vote effort, said Dave Boliek, the Republican candidate for state auditor.
"Donald Trump brought a lot of Republican voters to the polls who, quite frankly, may not have been accustomed to finishing the ballot and voting for conservatives all the way down ballot,” Boliek said.
Trump, the Republican presidential nominee for the third consecutive time, has been good about energizing his base of voters. But those same voters haven't turned out when he isn't on the ballot and there's some concern they aren't voting in each race.
"Unless Donald Trump has similarly common sense folks helping him down the ballot, it's going to be hard," said Dan Bishop, the Republican nominee for attorney general. "It's going to be very lonely in the White House, and so I think people do need to give the rest of their ballot very careful attention.”
Governor
Incumbent: Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper (term limited, can't run for reelection)
On the ballot:
- Republican Mark Robinson, North Carolina's lieutenant governor since 2021.
- Democrat Josh Stein, North Carolina's attorney general since 2017.
- Libertarian Mike Ross.
The role: The state’s top executive branch official. A Republican victory in November would help GOP lawmakers advance their legislative priorities. A Democratic victory could obstruct the GOP’s agenda if Republicans can’t maintain veto-proof super majorities in legislative races in the general election.
State of the race: Stein holds a commanding lead in recent polls over Robinson, who has lost support from conservatives in recent weeks following a CNN report that said he made lewd and racist comments on a pornographic website more than a decade ago. Robinson was endorsed by GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, but Trump has distanced himself from Robinson, particularly in the wake of the CNN report. Robinson denies allegations made in the report and filed a defamation lawsuit against the cable network.
Lieutenant governor
Incumbent: Republican Mark Robinson (not running for reelection; running for governor)
On the ballot:
- Republican Hal Weatherman, a former chief of staff for former North Carolina Lt. Gov. Dan Forest and former U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick.
- Democrat Rachel Hunt, a state senator and the daughter of former Gov. Jim Hunt.
The role: The lieutenant governor serves as temporary governor when the governor leaves the state. The lieutenant governor also presides over the state senate, chairs the eLearning Commission and sits on the State Board of Education, the North Carolina Capital Planning Commission and the State Board of Community Colleges. While the position has relatively fewer responsibilities than the governor or attorney general, it’s often seen as a stepping stone to higher political office.
Attorney General
Incumbent: Democrat Josh Stein (not running for reelection, running for governor)
On the ballot:
- Republican Dan Bishop, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
- Democrat Jeff Jackson, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
The role: The top legal office has become more politicized in recent years, as Stein and Cooper before him have pushed back against the Republican-led legislature. The past five attorneys general have run for governor, including Cooper and Stein.
State of the race: North Carolina has not elected a Republican attorney general in more than 125 years, though a Republican was appointed to the role briefly in the mid-1970s. Bishop has been highlighting rising violent crime rates over the last decade and promising to restore law and order. Jackson said he would attack emerging threats such as fentanyl distribution and artificial intelligence schemes aimed at defrauding residents. More than $30 million has been spent in the race by the candidates and outside groups. Jackson held a lead over Bishop in recent polling, but lots of voters are undecided.
Labor Commissioner
Incumbent: Republican Josh Dobson (not running for reelection)
On the ballot:
- Republican Luke Farley, a lawyer.
- Democrat Braxton Winston, a former Charlotte city council member.
The role: Dobson, in his first term, opted not to run for re-election. The Department of Labor is responsible for ensuring the “health, safety, and general well-being” of North Carolina workers. Whoever wins will have to figure out how to help the understaffed Department of Labor keep up with inspections in this fast-growing state. And they might get their photo in every elevator in the state.
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Incumbent: Republican Catherine Truitt (lost in March 5 GOP primary)
On the ballot:
- Republican Michele Morrow, a homeschooling mother of five and former nurse who defeated Truitt in the primary.
- Democrat Mo Green, a former Guilford County Schools superintendent and former director of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation.
The role: The state superintendent runs the Department of Public Instruction, which oversees the state’s public schools. The superintendent administers funding to schools, administers various services to educators and schools, oversees compliance and drafts policies and academic standards for State Board of Education approval. The role is also one of advocacy, acting in part as a liaison between public schools and state lawmakers.
Lawmakers set state education budgets and most state education policies. In recent years, the role has been at the center of politicized debates over whether to propose changes to teacher licensure to state lawmakers and new social studies standards, which were primarily drafted during the Mark Johnson administration and adopted by the State Board of Education in early 2021. The superintendent is also looked to for guidance on new laws and policies, some of which have been politicized, such as the relationship between parents and schools when it comes to LGBTQ+ issues. Others are less controversial but still pressing, such as guidance on artificial intelligence in schools and how to continue academic programs after the loss of federal stimulus dollars.
State of the race: Green and Morrow are in a virtual tie, according to recent polls. The race has garnered national attention since Morrow's surprising victory in the primary. Even former President Barack Obama weighed in. Truitt hasn’t endorsed either candidate and has said she won’t endorse Morrow. Morrow has faced criticism for social media posts that have advocated for the execution of prominent Democrats and advanced conspiracy theories about the 2020 election, vaccines and mass shootings. She downplayed recent comments calling the Nov. 5 election the "American Revolution 2.0."
Auditor
Incumbent: Democrat Jessica Holmes (seeking election after replacing Beth Wood, who resigned)
On the ballot:
- Republican Dave Boliek, an attorney and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill trustee.
- Libertarian Bob Drach, a certified management accountant and a former Deloitte consultant.
- Democrat Jessica Holmes, an attorney, former Wake County commissioner and current auditor.
The role: The state auditor oversees how public money is being spent and audits public agencies across the state for state and federal financial compliance.
State of the race: Wood resigned after she pleaded guilty to charges that she used state vehicles for personal errands. Holmes was appointed to serve out Wood’s term and is running to keep the office. Boliek has significantly outraised his competitors. In a surprise move, Wood endorsed Boliek.
Treasurer
Incumbent: Republican Dale Folwell (not seeking re-election, lost bid for gubernatorial nomination in GOP primary)
On the ballot:
- Democrat Wesley Harris, an economist and member of North Carolina House
- Republican Brad Briner, an investment manager and member of the UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees
The role: The treasurer's department is responsible for issuing the state's checks and managing the pension and health benefits for hundreds of thousands of both current and retired state employees. The state’s pension plan is one of the biggest in the nation, providing benefits for almost 1 million people. The treasurer also chairs the Local Government Commission, which provides oversight to local governments on annual budgets, internal controls, debt management, and pensions and other benefits reporting.
State of the race: Whoever wins will need to steer the health plan toward profitability in an era of rising health care costs. The state recently switched health care providers, and Folwell has earned headlines for refusing to have the state health plan cover costly weight-loss drugs. The candidates have also vowed to be better stewards of the state pension plan. Folwell has been criticized for the plan’s investment decisions, in particular for holding lots of cash during a stock-market boom. Folwell has defended the plan as one of the most conservative in the nation.
Insurance commissioner
Incumbent: Republican Mike Causey (running for reelection)
On the ballot:
- Republican Mike Causey, insurance commissioner since 2017.
- Democrat Natasha Marcus, an attorney and state senator from Mecklenburg County.
The role: The insurance department regulates the insurance industry in North Carolina, handles insurance-related complaints, conducts inspections and investigations, and oversees licensure of many professionals. Marcus is running after having her legislative seat targeted in redistricting. The commissioner also negotiates rates with insurance companies.
State of the race: Marcus is attacking Causey for insurance rates increasing more than a dozen times since he first entered office in 2017. Causey defeated incumbent Democrat Wayne Goodwin by less than 1 percentage point in 2016. He secured reelection more easily in 2020 after news emerged that he rejected bribe offers from an insurance tycoon. Causey has also butted heads with legislative Republicans. Inflation and the state of the economy are consistently ranked as the top issue for North Carolina voters. Because of the insurance commissioner’s influence on insurance rates, and if Democrats turn out in big numbers, Marcus may have an easier time upsetting an incumbent Republican than other Democrats running statewide.
Secretary of State
Incumbent: Democrat Elaine Marshall (seeking re-election)
On the ballot:
- Democrat Elaine Marshall, who has been Secretary of State since 1997.
- Republican Chad Brown, chairman of the Gaston County Board of Commissioners and former mayor of Stanley.
The role: The Secretary of State maintains records, business and financial filings and various publications. The security division “regulates investment advising, the selling of stocks and bonds and loan broker registration,” according to the Secretary of State’s website. Whoever wins will likely have to manage staffing issues amid a massive uptick of new business creation in North Carolina — a surge that is generating an overwhelming amount of paperwork for the office. Unlike in many states, the Secretary of State does not manage the state's elections.
State of the race: Marshall is the longest serving member of the Council of State. She held about $335,000 at the end of June — more than eight times what Brown had. An election night loss for Marshall would be seen as a major upset, but a strong turnout for Trump could make it close if his supporters vote for down-ballot Republicans.
Agriculture Commissioner
Incumbent: Republican Steve Troxler (seeking reelection)
On the ballot:
- Republican Steve Troxler, who has been Ag Commissioner since 2005.
- Democrat Sarah Taber, who runs an agricultural consulting business and is a former fieldworker.
- Libertarian Sean Haugh, who is running on the issue of legalizing marijuana, which is something the agriculture commissioner can advocate for but not something the agriculture commissioner can do.
The role: North Carolina's agriculture, a $103 billion powerhouse, stands as the state's leading economic force. However, it confronts significant hurdles due to the swift expansion of the state's population.
State of the race: Troxler is seen as one of the most durable Republican candidates on the ballot, and rural voters — who have a keen interest in agricultural issues — are reliable Republican voters. If Troxler fails to win, it would be considered a major upset.