North Carolina
North Carolina general election: Who are the candidates for NC statewide races?
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — High-profile statewide races are on the ballot in 2024, including governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general.
Gov. Roy Cooper has served two terms and is not eligible for reelection.
Below is a brief look at the major candidates for statewide races.
Governor
Attorney General Josh Stein – Democrat
Stein, a Democrat, has consistently led in polling and looks to follow Cooper’s path from attorney general to governor of the Tar Heel State.
If elected, Stein, 58, would be the first Jewish governor of North Carolina.
Stein, a lawyer by trade, was elected as a state senator in 2008 representing Wake County’s District 16. and served in the general assembly until assuming the attorney general role in 2017.
He grew up in Chapel Hill and Charlotte and is a graduate of Dartmouth College, Harvard Law School and Harvard Kennedy School of Government. His top listed priorities are making economic prosperity accessible for all residents, improving education and building a strong workforce.
Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson – Republican
Robinson made history as the state’s first Black lieutenant governor in 2021 and if elected, would be its first Black governor.
The Greensboro native burst onto the political scene in 2018 when he gave an impassioned speech at a city council meeting that went viral and served as a springboard to his historic run to the lieutenant governorship. Robinson often emphasizes his blue-collar roots and working-class background to connect with voters and constituents.
Robinson, 56, grew up poor as the ninth of 10 children and as an adult worked in the furniture manufacturing business.
His top listed priorities include supporting law enforcement, cutting taxes and growing the economy, and improving education as well as veterans care.
Lieutenant Governor
State Sen. Rachel Hunt – Democrat
Hunt is a first-term state senator who represents the 42nd district She assumed office in January 2023. Previously, she served two terms in the state House of Representatives, winning the seat in 2018 and 2020.
Hunt has strong North Carolina political bloodlines — her father is Ji, Hunt, the longest-serving governor in North Carolina history, with terms from 1977-1985 and again from 1993-2001.
Hunt, a lawyer, says she’s running “to get us back on track, fight for our basic freedoms, create safer communities, and make our education system the best it can be,” according to her campaign site. Her priorities include investing in public schools, expanding access to health care, and helping local businesses succeed.
Hal Weatherman – Republican
Weatherman is a longtime Republican political strategist. He received his undergraduate degree at Wake Forest University and holds a master’s degree from Wheaton College.
Weatherman was the chief of staff for former Lt. Gov. Dan Forest and former U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick.
He describes himself as a “principled limited government conservative. Weatherman supports school choice, trade work and entrepreneurship, and school safety, including armed guards in schools.
Weatherman also says he’ll push for a North Carolina Hall of Fame to honor and celebrate notable lives from across many fields and professions.
Attorney General
State Sen. Jeff Jackson – Democrat
State Sen. Jeff Jackson ran for U.S. Senate but dropped out in the primary as North Carolina Democrats positioned Cherie Beasley for the nomination. Beasley went on to lose to current U.S. Sen. Ted Budd, R-NC. Jackson then picked up his current seat in the general assembly
Jackson, who represents the 14th congressional district is also a major in the Army National Guard and served in Afghanistan.
The Chapel Hill native is a former prosecutor who says he wants to be a “non-partisan, independent voice for the people of North Carolina.”
Some of Jackson’s priorities include tackling the fentanyl epidemic, protecting residents against scammers and protecting seniors and veterans from fraud.
US Rep. Dan Bishop – Republican
Bishop represents North Carolina’s 8th congressional district.
He styles himself as a “conservative who tells the truth,” and is known on the House floor for his blunt and straightforward discussion of issues.
He says he’s running for attorney general because he believes Democrats, including Cooper and Stein, have “abused” the office and turned it into a “stepping stone for higher office and a platform to spread liberal propaganda.”
A former commercial lawyer, some of Bishop’s priorities include crime, including cracking down on illegal immigration. He isn’t afraid to call out fellow Republicans on the issues.
State Supreme Court
Allison Riggs – Democrat
Riggs is an incumbent on the state’s highest court. She’s a former Court of Appeals judge and was a civil rights and voting rights lawyer.
Riggs was appointed to the NC Supreme Court in 2023.
She grew up in West Virginia and went to college, graduate school and law school at the University of Florida. She worked for 14 years as a lawyer at the Southern Coalition for Social Justice in Durham.
Riggs says that “as a justice, my guiding principles are integrity, transparency, consistency and empathy.”
Jefferson Griffin – Republican
Griffin serves on the North Carolina Court of Appeals. He began his legal career working in the Wake County District Attorney’s Office.
Giffiin, a Nash County native, was captain of his high school football team at Northern Nash. He graduated from UNC at Chapel Hill and North Carolina Central University School of Law.
On the bench, Griffin describes himself as an “originalist and a textualist” who believes the “words of the Constitution mean what they say.”
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Mo Green – Democrat
Green is the former superintendent of Guilford County Schools, one of the largest districts in the state.
A longtime figure in the education field across the state, Green began professional life as a lawyer in private practice. He has a bachelor’s degree in political science and economics and a law degree, both from Duke University.
Green supports investing fully in public education, higher pay for educators, and enhancing community support.
Michele Morrow – Republican
Morrow is a nurse and a homeschooler who sent shockwaves throughout the state education field when she upset incumbent state Superintendent Catherine Truitt in the GOP primary.
Morrow, who got her nursing degree at UNC-Chapel Hill began homeschooling her children when the system “didn’t meet the needs of her children.”
In speaking with other parents, Morrow has developed school safety and discipline as top priorities as well as raising educational standards.
ALSO SEE: What you need to know for early voting in NC
Where to Vote
You can find early voting site locations and hours in your county here, as well as here.
Any voter who qualifies for assistance can ask for help at their polling place. For more information on help for voters with disabilities, click here. Curbside voting is also available for those eligible.
Voters who received an absentee ballot may deliver their ballot to their county board of elections office or to an election official at an early voting site during voting hours.
When are the polls open?
- Monday through Friday – 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
- Saturdays – 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
- Sundays – 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Important Voter Tips
Make sure to bring your photo ID. North Carolina voters will be required to show their ID when checking in to vote.
Make sure you’re registered. You can check here to see if you are.
Same-day registration is available during early voting, while this is not available for most voters on Election Day.
Key Dates and Deadlines
Oct. 17: In-person early voting begins
Oct. 29: Absentee ballot request deadline (5 p.m.).
Nov. 2: In-person early voting ends (3 p.m.).
Nov. 5: General Election Day.
Nov. 5: Absentee ballot return deadline (7:30 p.m.).
Keep in mind voter registration and absentee voting deadlines are different for the military and those overseas.
Click here for the latest stories on NC politics.
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An AMBER Alert has been issued for a 15-year-old New Bern boy after police say he was abducted at gunpoint from a motel early Saturday morning.
According to the New Bern Police Department, officers responded around 3:15 a.m. to the Palace Motel, located at 1901 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., after receiving a report of a child abduction.
Police said two adults inside the motel room told officers they had been asleep with two boys — 15-year-old Isaiah Kavon Owens and 13-year-old Kenneth Brantley Jr. — when they were awakened by someone banging on the door.
According to investigators, Larry Tompkins opened the door and encountered multiple people, including Kenneth Lee Brantley Sr., the father of Kenneth Brantley Jr.
Police said Brantley pointed a gun at Tompkins before taking both boys from the room and leaving in a black 2012 GMC Yukon Denali XL with South Carolina license plate XFH752.
Authorities said Brantley may be traveling to his residence in Marion, South Carolina. A statewide BOLO (Be On the Lookout) has been issued for the vehicle.
The North Carolina Center for Missing Persons issued an AMBER Alert Friday morning at the request of the New Bern Police Department.
Isaiah is described as a Black male, 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighing approximately 100 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes and was last seen wearing a white hooded sweatshirt, black pants and red-and-blue sneakers.
Police said Isaiah is autistic and has a speech delay.
Investigators said arrest warrants have been obtained for Brantley charging him with the abduction and endangerment of Isaiah Owens.
The New Bern Police Department said it is working with local, state, out-of-state and federal law enforcement agencies to locate Isaiah and ensure his safe return.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the New Bern Police Department at 252-633-2020, their local law enforcement agency, or call 911 immediately.
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
Authorities advise the public not to approach Brantley.
A man once given the nickname Cardiac Kemba due to his heart-stopping heroics at the University of Connecticut, Kemba Walker is back to breathe life into the 704’s youth basketball community.
The Charlotte Hornets’ legend officially opened the Kemba Walker Sports Academy in Concord, North Carolina this afternoon, a multi-sport facility just north of Charlotte that’s mission is “to provide a safe, fun, and inclusive environment for athletes to learn, grow, excel and compete.”
At a ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of the 54,000 square foot facility, Walker took some time to answer questions from assembled media about his latest venture that was created with community in mind.
“It’s really bigger than, you know, basketball,” said the Hornets’ all-time leading scorer this afternoon when talking about the academy. “We want the kids to have some discipline and really teach them how to work hard you know? That’s what we’re chasing. We’re chasing something that’s much bigger than the actual sport.”
It’s a bold vision, and one that Walker has dreamed of fulfilling since he was a kid suiting up for his childhood AAU program, the New York Gauchos.
“(The Gauchos’ facility) is probably not quite like this. It’s not as big as this. But that was my safe space, you know? That was the place I was able to go to, to enjoy the game of basketball and meet some of my closest friends that I still have to this day who actually run this place.”
Walker has been a pillar of the grassroots basketball community in Charlotte since he was a baby-faced, 20-something-year-old suiting up for the Bobcats. And even though he spent some time playing elsewhere in his professional basketball career, the four-time All-Star has considered the Queen City his domain since draft night.
“I never left, first of all” said Walker when asked about returning to the Hornets as an assistant coach and being able to now give back to the community that embraced him with open arms when he was drafted in 2011. “Obviously, I went to a couple of different teams and, you know, my path took me to a couple of different places, but I always kept my house here, and my family was always here, and whenever I had time in the summer, something like that, I was always here.”
“But it is amazing to be back. I love Charlotte.”
And Charlotte loves him back.
Walker stamped his name in the franchise record books with a successful career on the court, but he forever endeared himself into the community by embracing the basketball-crazed city he didn’t have a single tie to until he was drafted there.
The Kemba Walker Sports Academy will host its first grassroots basketball event this weekend, the Kemba Walker Invitational, where AAU teams from across the country (including Walker’s own New York Gauchos) will convene in Concord to christen the facility.
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ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Home sales in western North Carolina have increased since last year, according to the latest report from a realtor group.
Canopy MLS, a subsidiary of the Canopy Realtor Association, reports that May home sales across the four-county Asheville area (Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, and Madison counties) reflected a spring market that remains “active and competitive.”
NETWORKING EVENT FOCUSES ON HELENE RECOVERY FOR SMALL BUSINESSES, PLANS MOVING FORWARD
A total of 592 homes closed in May, representing a 6.3 percent increase compared to May 2025 and a 2.1 percent gain over April, the report said. Buyer demand continued to strengthen, with pending sales, a leading indicator of future closings, surging 22.4 percent year over year as 728 properties went under contract during the month.
“The strength of buyer demand in May is encouraging and reflects continued confidence in the Asheville region as a place to live, work and invest,” said Dave Noyes, a Realtor/Designated Managing Broker with eXp Realty and Canopy MLS Board of Director, in a news release. “
ASHEVILLE HOUSING MARKET SHOWS STEADY STRENGTH AS INVENTORY RISES ACROSS REGION
Contract activity also increased 7.1 percent compared to April, signaling that buyers remained engaged despite mortgage rates averaging approximately 6.5 percent throughout May, the report said.
“Buyers are adapting to today’s mortgage rates and taking advantage of the increased inventory we’ve seen over the past year. Although fewer new listings came onto the market in May, homes continue to attract strong interest, which is helping maintain a healthy balance between supply and demand as we head into the summer months,” Noyes said.
While buyer activity increased , new listing activity moderated. Sellers introduced 1,165 homes to the market in May, a 6.7 percent decline compared to the same month last year and a 7.7 percent decrease from April. Even so, the region’s inventory of homes for sale continued to expand, rising 3.2 percent year over year to 3,092 properties at report time. Months of supply, however, declined from six months in May 2025 to 5.4 months this past May, suggesting that the pace of buyer demand is absorbing available inventory faster than new listings are being added.
The report said that although buyers have more choices than a year ago, the market remains relatively balanced, with strong contract activity continuing to support overall sales momentum.
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