RALEIGH, N.C. — Democrat Josh Stein has been named the projected winner of the North Carolina governor race, according to the Associated Press, defeating Republican Mark Robinson by a sizeable margin.
“Tonight, North Carolinians resoundingly embraced a vision that’s optimistic, forward-looking, and welcoming," Stein said in a statement. "We have big challenges in front of us — from rebuilding western North Carolina to investing in our public schools and protecting our personal freedoms. But I know we will go further when we go together — not as Democrats, not as Republicans, not as Independents, but as North Carolinians."
Speaking to supporters at a watch party in Raleigh, Stein thanked voters, especially those in western North Carolina who were affected by Hurricane Helene. He also implored all citizens of the state to "put aside our differences and work together."
"I ran for governor because I love our home state, and I believe in the promise of North Carolina, that where you come from should never limit how far you can go, that our kids and grandkids should enjoy a better and better future than we've had, that every North Carolinian should have a fair shot at success starting a small business or getting a good paying job," Stein said.
Stein held a comfortable lead for most of the election cycle, but it strengthened when the CNN story came out about Robinson allegedly posting sexually explicit and racist comments to a pornography website several years ago.
Stein was first elected to public office back in 2008 when he was voted to represent North Carolina’s 16th district in the state senate. He eventually left the state senate after winning the Democratic nomination for Attorney General in 2016.
When he defeated Republican Buck Newton to win the attorney general race in 2016, Stein became the first Jewish person to win a statewide election in North Carolina. He was re-elected in 2020 after defeating Republican Jim O’Neil.
As part of his duties as Attorney General, Stein has worked to eliminate the backlog of untested sexual assault kits in North Carolina. He also led a bipartisan effort of state Attorneys General to negotiate a settlement framework with drug companies over the opioid epidemic.
Most recently, Stein and a group of 11 other Attorneys General sued TikTok, alleging that parent company ByteDance Ltd. "designed its app to be addictive while misrepresenting the mental, emotional and physical risks the app posed to young users."
Stein is now the first Jewish governor in North Carolina history.
"We are so blessed to be of this place," Stein said. "And while nowhere is perfect, I firmly believe that whatever may be wrong with our state can be repaired by all that is right. After all, North Carolina is where the Greensboro Four sat down and the Wright Brothers took flight ... It's where people come together to solve tough problems and believe that our best days are ahead of us, not behind us. This is our North Carolina. This is our home."
Make sure to stay updated on our election coverage throughout the night.
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