Democratic governors Shapiro, Moore hit the campaign trail in North Carolina

Featured photo: North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein (left) and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro speak to reporters at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro in Greensboro, North Carolina on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. (photo by Galen Bacharier/NC Newsline)

This story was first published by Galen Bacharier, NC Newsline
September 30, 2024

A duo of Democratic governors from up north met with North Carolina voters on Sunday, touting Attorney General Josh Stein and Vice President Kamala Harris as campaign surrogates visiting the Tar Heel State.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro spoke with Democratic supporters in Burlington in the morning before later appearing with Stein at an event at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro.

And later, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore headlined a press conference blasting Trump and Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson.

Shapiro, formerly a frontrunner in the Democratic vice presidential sweepstakes, said he saw echoes of his 2022 race in Stein’s contest against Robinson.

“Obviously, we’re both named Josh, but we also ran against — in my case ran against, in his case running against — a really dangerous extremist,” Shapiro told NC Newsline in Burlington.

Shapiro ran against state senator Doug Mastriano, who was a leading voice in support of overturning 2020’s election results in Pennsylvania.

“I don’t want to dwell on his opponent,” Shapiro said, joking that “I actually haven’t been following the race for the last two weeks.” And he said it would be a “disservice” to Stein — to whom he was a peer as an attorney general — to focus only on Robinson’s controversies past and present.

Moore, who won his first term in 2022, sought to tie Robinson to former President Donald Trump, as Republicans have increasingly seized on the battleground state’s gubernatorial race.

“Extremists like Donald Trump and Mark Robinson are one and the same — running to push their Project 2025 agenda and raise costs for millions of working families across our country,” Moore said.

The Democratic governors’ visits are a stark contrast to out-of-state Republican leaders, who have effectively abandoned Robinson’s campaign. All four neighboring GOP governors have distanced themselves from or unendorsed Robinson, and the Republican Governors’ Association has halted ad spending.

Hurricane recovery and relief continues west of campaign events

Just to the west, disaster relief efforts continue in North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Helene. Stein held a moment of silence and brief prayer in Greensboro.

“We pray for the power line workers, cell service workers, the transportation workers who are working day and night to try to reconnect people who are disconnected from all of us,” Stein said. “And we pray for their success and their safety.”

Stein’s office has urged North Carolinians to alert them of potential price gouging or other concerns as recovery continues. And he said he’d been in touch with local leaders in the western part of the state.

Asked by NC Newsline whether his campaign had considered pausing events in the midst of recovery efforts, he said their lead priority was making resources and information widely available.

“We’re putting out as much constructive information as we can about where folks who are affected need to reach out to find out that their power is back on, what roads are open, where to go for resources if they’re in need,” said Stein.

Robinson said the situation in western North Carolina was “far worse than I could have ever imagined.”

“I am urging Governor Cooper to deploy as many National Guardsmen as possible,” Robinson said on social media. “The need for human and mechanical resources cannot be understated.”

The storm has thus far led to 11 deaths in North Carolina, and officials expect that number to rise.

“Please know that we are sending resources and coordinating closely with local governments, first responders, state and federal partners, and volunteer organizations to help those impacted by this tragic storm,” Gov. Roy Cooper said Sunday.