NC governor's race: Robinson, Stein win primaries, headed for faceoff in November

After winning their respective primaries on Tuesday, Republican Mark Robinson and Democrat Josh Stein will go head to head in November to see who will replace Roy Cooper as North Carolina's governor.

Cooper, who has served two terms, was ineligible to run for the position again making room for a competitive race for the state's next governor.

The gubernatorial race has made national headlines for its importance and reflection of the likely faceoff between current President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. Robinson, the current lieutenant governor, was backed by Trump, and Stein, the current attorney general, was endorsed by Cooper.

Stein and Robinson are polar opposites on hot-button issues like abortion rights.

Robinson has expressed intent to further tighten North Carolina's abortion restrictions from a 12-week ban to a six-week ban. His platform is run on conservative values and backed by his religion. He is a supporter of second amendment rights and has campaigned against the inclusion of LGBTQ+ conversations in schools.

Stein, on the other hand, supports abortion access and is endorsed by Planned Parenthood Votes! South Atlantic. In his role as attorney general, Stein worked toward alleviating the opioid crisis and ending the untested rape kit backlog. Stein supports gun safety protections.

Robinson had several competitors in the race, including State Treasurer Dale Folwell and Attorney Bill Graham. Stein's top competition on the primary ticket was former North Carolina Supreme Court Associate Justice Mike Morgan.

All results reported on election night are unofficial until canvassing occurs on Friday, March 15 and finalized results are determined on Tuesday, March 26.

NC election results: See more about who won and lost across North Carolina

Josh Stein wins Democratic primary

Raleigh's Maywood Hall and Garden was loud and excited on Tuesday night during the NC Democrats watch party.

Stein said in a statement that he's grateful to voters who made their voice heard. He added that his primary win is "the first step toward building a safer, stronger North Carolina."

"I’m running for Governor because I believe in the promise of North Carolina – that where you come from should never limit how far you can go, that every person deserves a fair shot at prosperity, strong public schools, and a safe place to call home," Stein said. "North Carolina faces a defining choice, and I am confident that this November, we will reject Mark Robinson’s divisive, job-killing culture wars and instead come together to deliver on North Carolina’s promise for every person."

Kimberly Hardy, second vice chair for the state Democratic party, was at the watch party to support all Democrats running for office. She said it's nice to see Stein's hard work and dedication pay off in the polls. Looking forward, Hardy said she believes Robinson's out of touch policies make Stein a more viable candidate.

"He's going to take our state backwards and the state is more blue than it is red," Hardy said.

Mark Robinson wins Republican primary

The Imperial ballroom at the Koury Convention Center in Greensboro was filled with a crowd of Robinson supporters – young and old. The watch party served drinks and snacks while displaying the live election results rolling in. Cheers and whistles came from the crowd when the polls showed Robinson pulling ahead.

Tuesday night, Robinson said he's ready to move forward to a better day.

“We are not going to allow these folks to drag this campaign into the mud,” he said, adding that he wants to focus on substantive issues such as education and the economy. He said his mission is to grow the state's economy and return to "classical" education, including reading, writing and mathematics.

"The state has been doggone good to me,” Robinson said. “Now it is time for me to repay the debt of gratitude that I have to this great state and its good people.”

North Carolina governor race set: Republican Robinson to face Democrat Stein

What NC voters think about the match-up

Bailey Ulm, 28, who has lived in the Raleigh area for more than 17 years and works as an assistant in Wake County government, said one reason she voted for Stein is because "he seems like a great family guy and has a lot of experience with the state politics and knows what's going on and how he can best move us forward as a state."

Steve Burns, 65, a Buncombe County Democratic Party volunteer and a retired organic chemistry teacher, said he voted for Stein because he believes he is "well qualified to be governor."

Meanwhile, David Smith, who lives in New Hanover County, said he was voting for Robinson because "I love his views on what he’s going to do for this state and the gun laws."

Tad and Laura Lock, 20-year residents of Fairview in Western North Carolina, cast their votes for the primary election at the Fairview Volunteer Fire Department. Laura Lock, 59, said she feels it’s “our duty” to vote. She was motivated by three key issues — the border, the economy, and her pro-life stance.

“We like Mark Robinson to become governor because he seems to respect our values,” Tad Lock said, adding that race motivated him to come out to the polls. Tad Lock, 64, said his “main thing” is a desire to “get a hold of inflation.”

Reporters Ryley Ober and Joel Burgess from the Citizen Times in Asheville and Molly Wilhelm from the StarNews in Wilmington contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: NC governor's race: Mark Robinson, Josh Stein win primaries