The Political Beat Candidate Guide: North Carolina Governor

CHARLOTTE — General elections in North Carolina are set for Nov. 5, and many statewide offices have candidates in the running from the Democratic and Republican parties.

It has been impossible to ignore North Carolina’s gubernatorial election. Attorney General Josh Stein is facing Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson. Robinson has been under fire after a CNN report unearthed controversial comments CNN claims Robinson made on a porn website. Robinson denies the story. Wayne Turner, Mike Ross and Vinny Smith are also running.

The Political Beat asked questions of each candidate in the races. Below are their unedited responses.

Josh Stein

What is your occupation? I’ve been honored to serve as the state’s Attorney General since 2017, as a state senator representing Wake County before that, and as the senior deputy attorney general for Consumer Protection under then-Attorney General Roy Cooper.

Why are you running? I love North Carolina, and I believe in the promise of this state – if you work hard, where you come from should not limit how far you can go. I am running for Governor to deliver on that promise by investing in our people and their futures and building a state with a thriving economy, safe communities, and strong schools. Working families in North Carolina need affordable and accessible health care, job opportunities no matter their geography, strong public schools, and safe neighborhoods. As your Governor, I will work to deliver the economic security and peace of mind that every North Carolinian deserves by lowering costs, raising the minimum wage, and cutting taxes for working families. I will work to build safe communities by confronting the fentanyl crisis, recruiting and retaining well-trained law enforcement officers, and passing common-sense gun violence prevention measures. And as a state, we must also recommit to funding our public schools and raising teacher salaries. We must invest in career and technical education so North Carolinians can access high-quality job opportunities, whether they pursue a college education or not, and we must ensure our schools have the support staff that they need for our students to thrive.

What is the most important issue and how do you plan to address it? My top priority is investing in North Carolina’s public schools. Since my time as a state senator, I have consistently advocated for our state’s public schools. As Attorney General, I have worked tirelessly to get public schools fully funded, working with my team to negotiate the settlement to the Leandro litigation. I have fought for high-quality teachers in every classroom, high-quality principals in every school, and more high quality pre-kindergarten slots for North Carolina children. I was honored to receive the NCAE’s endorsement as the Governor candidate “best for education.” I have advocated for kids not only when they’re inside the classroom but also when they’re outside of it, taking Juul and Meta to court for seeing young people as dollar signs to be exploited rather than kids who to be protected. As Governor, I will continue fighting to fully fund our public schools and get teachers the pay and support that they deserve. The best way to continue building a strong economy is to strengthen our workforce by preparing our kids for the jobs of the future.

What limits do you support on abortion in North Carolina? Deciding to have a baby is among the most personal decisions a woman can make. It is a decision that a woman should make in consultation with her loved ones and her doctor. It should not be made by the government and not by politicians like my opponent. As Attorney General, I have protected access to reproductive health care for all women, including members of the military. I am also fighting to ensure women can continue to access medication abortions and pushing back against the General Assembly’s highly restrictive anti-abortion law. As Governor, I’ll continue to defend women’s rights because extreme politicians in Raleigh are not done yet – my opponent for Governor supports a total abortion ban without exception, not for rape, incest, or the life or health of the mother. Roe v. Wade was settled law for 50 years. I support its framework: protections early in the pregnancy and restrictions so abortions only happen later in pregnancy when there’s a serious or life-threatening health problem that should be handled by medical professionals. As Governor, I will veto any further efforts to restrict women’s reproductive freedoms.

As Governor, what bills do you hope to sign to address violent crime? As the state’s top law enforcement officer, job number one is protecting people – and that’s exactly what I have done. My office has led the effort to eliminate the backlog of untested rape kits, bringing justice to survivors and putting rapists behind bars. We’ve worked to prosecute sexual predators and strengthen protections against child sex abuse. That’s why we championed the SAFE Child Act a couple of years ago, to give victims of child sex assault an open window to bring a civil action against their abusers to hold them accountable. In the case of felonies in North Carolina, there is no statute of limitations, so if we can prove the crime, we can convict somebody, as what happened in this instance, 16 years after the crime actually occurred. I’m also honored to have earned the endorsement of dozens of members of law enforcement, including local sheriffs and District Attorneys. Everyone deserves to feel safe in their communities. That means supporting our first responders and law enforcement, including funding new strategies for recruitment and retainment and promoting common-sense reforms to reduce violence in our communities. And that’s what I’ll do as Governor. I have long fought for a Public Safety package that offers law enforcement hiring bonuses, funds an out-of-state law enforcement recruitment campaign, offers mental health and wellness resources to LEOs, and combats the fentanyl crisis. I hope to work with the General Assembly to sign this package into law. I will also advocate for comprehensive background checks for gun purchasers to keep dangerous violent people from buying guns and red flag laws to allow a family to petition the court to temporarily remove a gun from someone who poses a risk to themselves or others.

What sets you apart from your opponents? This November, voters will have an incredibly stark choice between two competing visions — ours is forward-looking and inclusive. It’s about fighting for every North Carolinian and tapping their potential to build a safer, stronger North Carolina. I believe in the promise of North Carolina – that where you come from should not determine how far you go. My opponent Mark Robinson’s vision is divisive and hateful; it’s all about fighting job-killing culture wars. He is a threat to North Carolina unlike anyone we’ve seen before. He wants to turn back the clock on our state’s promise and threaten our economic future. He calls himself a “Nazi” and supports bringing slavery back. He says awful things about people. He says that women are not called to lead and that women get abortions because they aren’t responsible enough to keep their skirts down. He’s said that “some folks need killing” from a church pulpit of all places. He says public school teachers are “wicked people;” says gay people are worse than maggots; mocks school shooting survivors; says that women are not called to lead, and called the civil rights movement crap. What kind of person thinks these things, let alone says them? He wants to defund public schools, make it harder for people to vote, and ban abortion with no exceptions: not for rape, not for incest, not for the life or health of the mother. He denies the 2020 election results, denies the climate crisis, even denies the Holocaust. It’s on us to deny him the Governorship of North Carolina. We can and must win to build a better and brighter future.

Mike Ross

What is your occupation? I am a former financial planner, but currently taking time away to run for Governor.

Why are you running? I’m running because it is time to “fire the uniparty.” Democrats and Republicans continually make promises they can’t keep, focusing more on getting elected than solving the actual problems of North Carolinians.

What is the most important issue and how do you plan to address it? The economy and inflation. Overspending and the devaluation of our dollar is crushing the people across this state and nationwide. I will call for an audit of the Federal Reserve, and work to reduce/remove government-imposed costs that impact regular people. The government should never get in the way of people and markets solving problems.

What limits do you support on abortion in North Carolina? I firmly believe that we are not ready to have a good faith discussion on abortion. I will not sign any bills to strengthen protections for or against abortion access. Bans don’t work and often lead to an intrusion of medical privacy. For anyone who wishes to prevent more abortions, they should consider the underlying issues such as economic challenges, lacking education and resources about pregnancy and parenthood, and burdensome restrictions on adoption.

As Governor, what bills do you hope to sign to address violent crime? By taking the focus off victimless crimes, our law enforcement would have more time and resources to focus on violent crime. Our police are underpaid, overworked, and put their lives at risk to pursue crimes without victims.

What sets you apart from your opponents? I’m not controlled by the special interest partisan structure and its money. I’d also show up for a gubernatorial debate so that we can truly compare our ideas and solutions, rather than depend on attack ads to scare voters.

Vinny Smith

What is your occupation? Medical Device Market Development Manager

Why are you running? While petitioning with the Constitution Party of NC in order to receive ballot access, I had an opportunity to speak with thousands of North Carolina voters. Many expressed to me their displeasure with the two major parties, and they would like more options in terms of political parties and candidates for Governor. Hearing the will of the people over and over again, this inspired me to run for Governor to serve the people of NC.

What is the most important issue and how do you plan to address it? The most important issue facing North Carolina is the corruption in government. Until we expose and uproot the corruption, North Carolina will never truly thrive. North Carolina must be built on a solid foundation of morality and truth. Once in office, I will stress to my fellow elected officials the importance of us representing the people of NC with honor & integrity based upon the Holy Scriptures, the US & NC Constitution, and the will of the people. If I see actions taking place counter to the aforementioned, I will quickly address the issue with the individual(s) and the corrected action which needs to be taken. If they refuse to correct their actions, I will involve a group of peers to address the issue with the individual(s) and the corrected action which needs to be taken. After this, if they refuse to correct their actions, I will make the infraction public to their employer, the people of NC in which they serve.

What limits do you support on abortion in North Carolina? Based upon Jeremiah 1:4-5, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, 1 Thessalonians 5:15, and Exodus 20:13, I do not believe in abortions, from conception without exception. I do believe that we must have a support system in place available to help pregnant mothers emotionally, psychologically, and financially if needed.

As Governor, what bills do you hope to sign to address violent crime? As Governor, I will receive bills from the General Assembly. I will review the bills that address violent crime and make decisions whether to sign on a case-by-case basis. With that being said, I am opposed to and will veto any legislation that goes against the 2nd Amendment rights of the people.

What sets you apart from your opponents? The two major party candidates receive money from special interest groups, Political Action Committees and Super PACs. I will never take special interest, PAC, or Super PAC money. This will enable me to represent the people and not be beholden to the financiers like the republican and democratic candidates. I am the only candidate who will defend all life without exception. This includes those unborn, born, and until natural death. I am the only candidate who has committed to will work with the General Assembly to find a way to phase out Property Taxes for homeowners. Under our State’s current system, you cannot own property as you must rent it from the Government by paying Property Tax.

Wayne Turner

Wayne Turner did not respond to the candidate questionnaire. We will update the page with their responses if we receive them.

Mark Robinson

Mark Robinson did not respond to the candidate questionnaire. We will update the page with their responses if we receive them.

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