ELECTION RESULTS: Two North Carolina council of state races end in runoff on Primary Election Night

North Carolina has several council of state races on the ballot this year from governor down to commissioner of agriculture. Both familiar and new faces took to the races and resulted in two runoffs.

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR – Republican

Winner: Runoff between Hal Weatherman and Jim O’Neill.

Numbers: Weatherman, a former political advisor to former Lt. Gov Dan Forest, his mother former Rep. Sue Myrick and former Rep. Madison Cawthorn was able to gather nearly 20 percent of the vote, while the current Forsyth County DA O’Neill barely edged out challenger Deanna Ballard.

Analysis: A convoluted Republican field saw 11 candidates getting votes in this primary, while Democrats’ votes were more focused.

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR – Democrat

Winner: Rachel Hunt

Numbers: By 9:02 p.m., when the race was called, NC Sen. Hunt had garnered more than 70 percent of the vote. Challengers Ben Clark and (the other) Mark Robinson were each more than 50 points behind her.

Analysis: Hunt, who ran on reproductive rights as well as education and broadband access, secured key endorsements including Reps. Kathy Manning, Jeff Jackson, Alma Adams and Deborah Ross; pro-chice groups Lillian’s List and Emily’s List; a score of state legislators; a few mayors and councilmembers; the NC Sierra Club; and the NC AFL-CIO.

ATTORNEY GENERAL – Democrat 

Winner: Jeff Jackson

Numbers: The race was called at 9:38 p.m., with Jackson holding 55 percent of the votes counted, more than 20 points ahead of Durham County DA Satana Deberry and more than 40 points ahead of Marine veteran Tim Dunn.

Analysis: Rep. Jeff Jackson, who was drawn out of the 14^th Congressional District in the last round of redistricting, achieved national popularity with a TikTok channel he uses to explain his job. He also served as a NC senator.

In November, Jackson will face his Congressional colleague Republican Rep. Dan Bishop, who declined to campaign for re-election in the 8^th Congressional District so he could run for attorney general.

AUDITOR – Republican

Winner: Runoff between Jack Clark and Dave Boliek

Numbers: Neither candidate was able to secure more than 30 percent of the vote, entitling Boliek, who came within a percentage point or two from Clark, to a runoff to decide who will face incumbent Jessica Holmes in November.

Analysis: Six candidates entered this race. Former Greensboro City Council member Jim Kee came in last, with about 10 percent of the vote and winning just two counties.

COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE – Republican

Winner: Incumbent Steve Troxler

Numbers: Troxler prevailed over challenger Colby “Bear” Hammonds in a race that was called at 9:51 p.m. by the Associated Press. By that time, Troxler had secured 68.5 percent of the vote, a lead of more than 200,000 votes.

Analysis: Troxler has been Agriculture Commissioner since 2006 and will run against Democrat Sarah Taber in November.

COMMISSIONER OF INSURANCE – Democrat

Winner: Natasha Marcus

Numbers: Former NC Sen. Natasha Marcus steamrolled over challenger David Wheeler, garnering more than 77 percent of the vote by 9:30 p.m.

Analysis: Marcus gained a much larger percentage of votes than Republican Mike Causey, who she will face on November, but he got more total votes.

COMMISSIONER OF INSURANCE – Republican

Winners: Incumbent Mike Causey

Numbers: Incumbent Republican Mike Causey was able to best two challengers, Andrew Marcus and C. Robert Brawley, with more than 58 percent of the vote by 9:30 pm. 

Analysis: At 9:30 p.m. Causey had almost 100,000 more votes than Marcus, the closest challenger, and had won more than 90 counties in the state.

COMMISSION OF LABOR – Republican

Winner: Luke Farley

Numbers: Farley took more than 36 percent of the vote, besting closest challenger Jon Hardister by more than 8 points by the time Hardister conceded at midnight.

Analysis: This is an upset. Political newcomer and OSHA lawyer Luke Farley soundly defeated former NC House Rep. Hardister, who had risen to the role of House whip in Republican leadership. Challengers Chuck Stanley and Travis J. Wilson siphoned off more than one-third of the vote. In a post on Facebook, Hardister said that while the results were not what he wanted, he called Farley to congratulate him and hoped that the party would be more united come November.

SECRETARY OF STATE – Republican

Winner: Chad Brown

Numbers: Securing 43.4 percent of the vote when the race was called at 11:25 p.m., conservative Christian Brown ceded the Triangle counties of Wake, Durham and Johnston to challenger Christine E. Villaverde, a Trump supporter who had almost 30 percent of the vote when the race was called. 

Analysis: Moderate Republican Jesse Thomas was just three points behind Villaverde by midnight, though he had won just three small counties, by finishing second in many of the counties Brown won. Brown will face incumbent Democrat Elaine Marshall in November.

SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION – Democrat

Winner: Maurice “Mo” Green

Numbers: In a race called at 9:45 p.m., Green had received 66 percent of the vote, compared to challengers CR Katie Eddings (24.9 percent) and Kenon Crumble (9.2 percent). 

Analysis: Green, the former superintendent of Guilford County Schools, prevailed across the state, ceding only Caldwell and Bladen counties to challengers with 64 percent of the vote counted.

SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION – Republican

Winner: Michelle Morrow

Numbers: A close race called after midnight, Morrow defeated incumbent Catherine Truitt by more than four points.

Analysis: Morrow, who has called public schools “indoctrination centers” and was at Trump’s speech on the ellipse during the Jan. 6 insurrection, will face career academic administrator Mo Green in November.

TREASURER – Democrat

Winner: Wesley Harris

Numbers: Harris had taken more than 66 percent of the vote at the time the race was called, 9:46 p.m., while opponent Gabe Esparza trailed by more than 150,000 votes.

Analysis: By 10:30 p.m., Esparza had won just a single county, Chowan, on the Albemarle Sound, population 13,000. Harris, meanwhile, served as a state rep from Mecklenburg, NC’s most populous county.

TREASURER – Republican

Winner: Brad Briner

Numbers: With about 40 percent of the vote, Briner edged out challengers Rachel Johnson and AJ Daoud, who got about 35 percent and 25 percent, respectively.

Analysis: Briner has a background in finance — he’s one of Michael Bloomberg’s investment managers with no political experience save for an appointment to the UNC Board of Trustees. He’ll face former NC House Rep. Harris in November.