Who is Josh Stein? Meet Mark Robinson's opponent in North Carolina governor race

All eyes are on North Carolina's governor's race after a CNN report resurfaced racist and lewd comments made on an online porn forum by Republican candidate and the state's Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson.

In a state that is known for electing Democratic governors and Republican presidents, the Tar Heel state's gubernatorial election is garnering attention for the impact it could have on the presidential race between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Before the allegations torpedoed Robinson's campaign Thursday, he was already polling behind his Democratic opponent, North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, in a battle to fill current Gov. Roy Cooper's seat.

Stein, who has a lengthy political career in North Carolina, would be the state's first Jewish governor if elected. Here's what to know about him.

Who is Josh Stein?

Before becoming North Carolina's attorney general, Stein spent years serving in political office in the state where his family has deep roots in progressive activism.

Born in Washington D.C., Stein moved to North Carolina at a young age, where he lived in Charlotte and Chapel Hill. His father and civil rights attorney, Adam Stein, went on to co-found the state's first integrated law firm. Stein graduated from Dartmouth College in 1988 where he majored in history and went on to teach English and economics in Zimbabwe. He later earned law and public policy degrees from Harvard.

After completing his education, Stein worked with the Self-Help Credit Union where he helped to transform abandoned drug houses into affordable single-family homes. He later served as senior deputy attorney general for consumer protection at the North Carolina Department of Justice and represented District 16 in the state senate from 2009 to 2016.

What are Stein's stances on issues?

Since announcing his candidacy for governor, Stein has campaigned on a range of issues, including investing in public education and protecting reproductive rights in North Carolina.

Stein has been a vocal supporter of reproductive rights and access to contraction and IVF. As attorney general, he criticized North Carolina's 12-week abortion ban passed in 2023, calling parts of it unconstitutional.

The North Carolina attorney general has also advocated for public education, and, if elected, aims to address teacher and staffing shortages in schools. He also supports allocating funds to public schools before private schools.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Josh Stein? Democrat shakes up governor race in North Carolina