North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein announced plans to run for governor Wednesday — one of the first major campaign announcements for state office ahead of the 2024 election.
The decision sets the stage for a potential political battle focused on culture war issues and abortion rights in the state. Much of Stein’s video announcement focused on Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, the presumed Republican front-runner in the race.
“Robinson wants to tell you who you can marry, when you’ll be pregnant, and who you should hate,” Stein, a Democrat, said in the video. “I’m running for governor because I believe in a very different North Carolina, one rooted in our shared values of freedom, justice and opportunity for everyone. And I believe the fights we choose show who we are and determine what kind of state we’ll become.”
In multiple interviews with WRAL News last year, Stein expressed a desire to run and said one of his main priorities will be defending access to abortion. The longtime Democrat made his views clear in an August news conference at the state’s Department of Justice office: “Politicians are playing with women’s lives,” Stein said. “Decisions about reproductive care are deeply personal. They should be made by a woman in consultation with her loved ones and her doctor. They should not be made by politicians.”
Abortion is legal in North Carolina up to 20 weeks into a pregnancy. Republican lawmakers are expected to push to change that law during this year’s legislative session. Cooper has promised to veto new restrictions.
Folwell said in a text message after Stein’s announcement Wednesday that Republican primary voters “will have an option” next year. Spokespeople for Robinson didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
“North Carolina families need a governor who will fight for them — not the woke left,” North Carolina Republican Party Chairman Michael Whatley said in a statement Wednesday. “We need a governor who will focus on building a thriving economy, making sure our kids have the opportunity for a world-class education, and putting families first. Josh Stein is not that man. He’s built his entire career advancing the priorities of the progressive left and enabling Democrats’ radical agenda — clearly the wrong choice for the Old North State in 2024.”
Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper is not able to run for governor in 2024 because of term limits. He praised Stein during a Wednesday morning interview but stopped short of endorsing him. So far, Stein is the only known Democratic candidate for the office. Candidates don’t have to file with the State Board of Elections until December, leaving time for that to change.
The attorney general has a number of high-profile endorsements from party insiders, including former Gov. Jim Hunt, House Democratic Leader Robert Reives — who some Democrats hoped would run for governor — and U.S. Rep. Deborah Ross.
“This is our moment to protect our freedoms and democracy, provide every child a great education, and expand economic opportunity to every corner of the state,” Stein said in his video announcement. “… We’ll build a better and brighter North Carolina by standing together for what’s right, fighting to fix what’s wrong, and doing right by every single North Carolinian.”