CHARLOTTE — North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein has been elected the state’s next governor, the AP reported.
The Democrat defeated Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson on Tuesday.
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His victory maintains Democratic leadership of the chief executive’s office in a state where the GOP has been in recent control of the legislature and the appeals courts.
Stein will succeed Democrat Roy Cooper, who was term-limited from seeking reelection.
Stein is a former state senator who was first elected attorney general in 2016. The son of a prominent civil rights lawyer, he will be North Carolina’s first Jewish governor.
Democrats have resided in the governor’s mansion in Raleigh for all but four years since 1993.
Stein calls for unity
Stein declared victory during a speech before 10 p.m. Tuesday -- his race was one of the first to be called by national outlets on Election Day.
In his speech, Stein tried to strike a tone of togetherness, calling on the state to reject politics of division, fear and hate.
In addition to rebuilding after Hurricane Helene, Stein also said he would focus on good jobs, strong public schools, safe neighborhoods, and personal freedoms.
He also spoke directly to people who didn’t vote in this election.
“Thank you for believing in the promise of North Carolina,” Stein said. “And if I didn’t earn your vote in this election, I hope to earn your trust by working hard for you as your Governor. I pledge to listen and work across party lines to do what’s right for North Carolina because no person or party has a monopoly on good ideas.”
Robinson leaves with ‘head held high’
Robinson conceded to Stein Tuesday evening but said he wasn’t leaving the watch party sad, but instead, he’s disappointed for those who supported him.
His campaign told Sáenz that they don’t see a path forward based off the numbers reported as of 10 p.m. His campaign believes the gap will close through the night, but it won’t be enough.
Robinson praised his campaign staff and told supporters he leaves with his head held high.
“I wanted this for the people of North Carolina, not for me,” Robinson said. “I wanted it for them, I wanted to represent them, I wanted to take their issues before the folks of North Carolina and really have those issues addressed, not for the purpose of climbing the political ladder but for the purpose of fighting for the people in the state that I love.”
Robinson told his base that he plans to serve out his term as Lt. Governor for the next two months, then he plans to spend time with his grandchildren.
His campaign didn’t rule out another run for office, but said they’d let Robinson decide that later.
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Robinson fights the polls
Robinson rose to prominence in the Republican Party after a pro-gun speech at a 2018 Greensboro City Council meeting, and he even gained the support of former President Donald Trump. Two years after, he became Lt. Governor in North Carolina.
But as of the most recent numbers from Real Clear Polling, Robinson is trailing int he race by more than 10 points.
His campaign was stained by a bombshell report from CNN in September which said, among other things, that Robinson had called himself a “black Nazi” in an online forum. Robinson sued CNN, saying he wasn’t the one who posted online. He hasn’t provided proof in his case yet.
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Through it all, Robinson has traveled across North Carolina greeting voters, even on Election Day.
“We’ve seen polls be extremely wrong in the past, in the recent past. We’ve seen where polls have said one thing and the people say another,” Robinson told Sáenz. “We are relying on the people and what we’ve seen on the ground gives us the confidence to know we can still won’t this thing and are likely to win.”
If elected, Robinson would make history as the first Black governor in North Carolina.
Stein looks to keep NC purple
Stein has positioned himself as a polar opposite to Robinson and a close ally of sitting Gov. Roy Cooper.
He’s currently outpacing Robinson in polling and fundraising -- the latest numbers from June to October show Stein’s campaign received nearly $45 million in donations, which is 11 times what Robinson received.
Stein has said winning this race comes down to the issues that matter to people: public safety, growing the economy, investing in education, and teacher pay.
Stein is hoping the election allows Democrats to breaks the GOP’s supermajority in the state legislature. He says he can work well with Republicans on key issues, such as the large backlog of untested rape kits, and the opioid and fentanyl crisis.
“The choice couldn’t be clearer, two competing visions, ours is optimistic, forward-looking, welcoming; Mark Robinson’s is one of division and hate, and we need to come together to solve tough problems and that’s what the voters can decide today, I hope they do,” Stein said.
Polls are set to close before 8 p.m. -- we’ll update this article with the latest from the governor’s race as details are available.
VIDEO: NC governor candidate Mark Robinson sues CNN over report about posts on porn site
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