Attorney General Josh Stein formally reported he would be seeking the position of governor of North Carolina in the 2024 bid, as Gov. Roy Cooper’s reign will come to an end due to term limits.
The Democratic AG announced his candidacy in a video released Wednesday morning, much of it decrying a divisive platform from the Republican party. Stein particularly honed in on Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson, who has been forthright against abortion and transgender rights. Robinson has hinted at a possible run but no announcements have been made yet.
In his video, Stein hones in on uniting North Carolinians to build a stronger and more inclusive state, filled with opportunity for everyone, but especially small businesses and underserved populations.
“I learned early on that some things are worth fighting for, no matter the opposition,” Stein said in a press release. “Some politicians want to tell you who you should hate, when you’ll be pregnant, and who you can marry. I believe in a different North Carolina — and that the fights we choose determine what kind of state we’ll become. 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.”
Stein has worked as a lawmaker for more than a decade, both in the North Carolina Senate and as the state’s top lawyer. His accomplishments include holding drug companies accountable for the opioid crisis by pursuing billions in settlement funds, bringing investments to overlooked neighborhoods, clamping down on Medicaid fraud, and providing funds to test a backlog of rape kits to catch criminals.
To date, Stein, 56, has raised more than $5 million and has nearly $4 million cash-on-hand, according to the release. He also has endorsements of 150-plus elected officials.
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