2020 North Carolina Council of State elections

The North Carolina Council of State elections of 2020 were held on November 3, 2020 to select the ten officers of the North Carolina Council of State. These elections coincided with the presidential election, elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the Senate and elections to the North Carolina General Assembly and top state courts. Primary elections were held on March 3, 2020, for offices for which more than one candidate filed per party.

2020 North Carolina Council of State election
November 3, 2020 (2020-11-03)
All 10 members of the North Carolina Council of State
  Majority party Minority party
 
Party Republican Democratic
Last election 6 4
Seats won 6 4
Seat change
Percentage 50.68% 49.17%
Swing 0.52 0.97
Elections in North Carolina
Federal government
U.S. President
U.S. Senate
U.S. House of Representatives
State executive
Gubernatorial elections
Lieutenant Governor elections
Attorney General elections
Council of State elections
Secretary of State elections
State legislature
General Assembly elections
State Senate elections
State House elections
State judiciary
Judicial elections
Ballot measures
2012
Amendment 1
Mayoral elections
Charlotte mayoral elections
Cary mayoral elections
Durham mayoral elections
Fayetteville mayoral elections
Greensboro mayoral elections
Raleigh mayoral elections
Winston-Salem mayoral elections

The ten members of the North Carolina Council of State are statewide-elected officers serving four-year terms.[1]

The result of the 2020 elections was a Council of State consisting of 4 Democrats and 6 Republicans, just as it had been before the elections.[2] Three seats (Lieutenant Governor, Superintendent of Public Instruction and Commissioner of Labor) were open, but in each case, a Republican succeeded a fellow Republican.

Governor
Main article: 2020 North Carolina gubernatorial election

Incumbent Governor Roy Cooper, a Democrat, ran for a second term. The Republican Party nominated Lt. Governor Dan Forest. The Libertarian Party nominated Steven J. DiFore and the Constitution Party nominated Al Pisano. Cooper won re-election to a second term with 51.5% of the vote. Cooper received the most votes of any Democrat on the ballot in North Carolina in 2020.

Lieutenant Governor
Main article: 2020 North Carolina lieutenant gubernatorial election

Incumbent Lt. Gov. Dan Forest, a Republican, was ineligible to run for a second term due to term limits set by the North Carolina Constitution. Forest ran for the governorship.

The Republican Party nominated Mark Robinson, a businessman and first-time political candidate. The Democratic party nominated State Representative Yvonne Lewis Holley. Robinson defeated Holley, winning 51.6% of the vote to Holley's 48.4%. Robinson thus became North Carolina's first African-American lieutenant governor.

Attorney General
Main article: 2020 North Carolina Attorney General election

Incumbent Attorney General Josh Stein, a Democrat, ran for a second term. He faced Republican nominee Jim O'Neill in the general election. Stein defeated O'Neill by just over 13,000 votes out of over 5.4 million cast.

Secretary of State

Elaine Marshall, a Democrat, was first elected to the position of Secretary of State in 1996 and has held the position since then. She is currently the longest-tenured member of the Council of State. She was unopposed in the primary. The Republican Party nominated businessman E.C. Sykes. Marshall won with 51.2% of the vote, a slightly smaller percentage of the vote than what Marshall received in 2016. She was elected to her seventh term as Secretary of State.

Declared
Declared
  • Chad Brown, Gaston County commissioner[3]
  • Michael LaPaglia, business consultant and nominee for North Carolina Secretary of State in 2016[4]
  • E.C. Sykes, businessman[5]

Polling
Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size[lower-alpha 1]		 Margin
of error		 Chad
Brown		 Michael
LaPaglia		 E.C.
Sykes		 Undecided
Harper Polling/Civitas Institute December 2–4, 2019 500 (LV) ± 4.38% 20% 4% 5% 71%

Results
Republican primary results[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican E.C. Sykes 296,457 42.9
Republican Chad Brown 262,595 38.0
Republican Michael LaPaglia 131,832 19.1
Total votes 690,884 100.0

Predictions
Source Ranking As of
The Cook Political Report[7] Likely D June 25, 2020

Polling
Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size		 Margin of
error		 Elaine
Marshall (D)		 E.C.
Sykes (R)		 Undecided
Cardinal Point Analytics (R) July 22–24, 2020 735 (LV) ± 3.6% 44% 42% 14%
Cardinal Point Analytics (R) July 13–15, 2020 547 (LV) ± 4.2% 47% 39% 14%

Results
North Carolina Secretary of State election, 2020[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Elaine Marshall (incumbent) 2,755,571 51.16% -1.10%
Republican E.C. Sykes 2,630,559 48.84% +1.10%
Total votes 5,386,130 100.0%
Democratic hold

State Auditor

Incumbent Auditor Beth Wood, a Democrat, ran for a fourth term. She was narrowly re-elected in 2016, winning by just over six thousand votes. Wood was challenged in the Democratic primary by Luis Toledo, a former Assistant State Auditor. Toledo argued that change was needed in the Auditor's office.[9] Beth Wood won the primary by a large margin. Anthony Street, a small business owner and member of the Brunswick County Soil and Water Board, won the Republican primary.[10] Wood won the general election with 50.9% of the vote.

Declared

Results
Democratic primary results[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Beth A. Wood (incumbent) 895,610 77.7
Democratic Luis A. Toledo 257,433 22.3
Total votes 1,153,043 100.0
Declared
  • Tim Hoegemeyer, general counsel for the Office of State Auditor and U.S. Marine Corps veteran[12]
  • Tony Wayne Street, Brunswick County Soil and Water Board member[13][5]

Results
Republican primary results[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Anthony Wayne (Tony) Street 379,051 56.2
Republican Tim Hoegemeyer 295,903 43.8
Total votes 674,954 100.0

Results
North Carolina State Auditor election, 2020[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Beth A. Wood (incumbent) 2,730,175 50.88% +0.81%
Republican Anthony Wayne (Tony) Street 2,635,825 49.12% -0.81%
Total votes 5,366,000 100.0%
Democratic hold

State Treasurer

Incumbent Treasurer Dale Folwell, a Republican, ran for a second term.

Declared

Polling
Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size[lower-alpha 1]		 Margin
of error		 Dimple
Ajmera		 Ronnie
Chatterji		 Matt
Leatherman		 Undecided
Public Policy Polling February 2–4, 2020 604 (LV) - 9% 4% 8% 80%
Public Policy Polling January 10–12, 2020 509 (LV) - 10% 5% 6% 80%

Results
Primary results by county:
Democratic primary results[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ronnie Chatterji 411,732 35.8
Democratic Dimple Ajmera 390,888 34.0
Democratic Matt Leatherman 347,226 30.2
Total votes 1,149,846 100.0
Declared

Polling
Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size[lower-alpha 1]		 Margin
of error		 Dale
Folwell (R)		 Ronnie
Chatterji (D)		 Other Undecided
East Carolina University October 27–28, 2020 1,103 (LV) ± 3.4% 48% 44% 3%[lower-alpha 2] 5%
Meeting Street Insights (R) October 24–27, 2020 600 (LV) ± 4% 44% 45% – 8%
Harper Polling/Civitas (R) October 22–25, 2020 504 (LV) ± 4.4% 43% 44% – 13%
East Carolina University October 15–18, 2020 1,155 (LV) ± 3.4% 47% 43% 3%[lower-alpha 3] 7%
East Carolina University October 2–4, 2020 1,232 (LV) ± 3.2% 44% 44% 1%[lower-alpha 4] 11%
Harper Polling/Civitas (R) September 17–20, 2020 612 (LV) ± 3.96% 39% 39% – 22%
East Carolina University August 29–30, 2020 1,101 (LV) ± 3.4% 41% 40% 5%[lower-alpha 5] 14%

Results
North Carolina State Treasurer election, 2020[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Dale Folwell (incumbent) 2,812,799 52.58% -0.12%
Democratic Ronnie Chatterji 2,537,019 47.42% +0.12%
Total votes 5,349,818 100.0%
Republican hold

Superintendent of Public Instruction

Mark Johnson was elected to the position of State Superintendent in 2016, defeating incumbent June Atkinson by a narrow margin. Johnson opted not to run for a second term as Superintendent, instead declaring his candidacy for Lieutenant Governor.[17] Johnson’s candidacy was unsuccessful, placing third in the Republican primary.

Jen Mangrum, an associate professor at UNC Greensboro, received the most votes out of the five candidates in the Democratic primary. Catherine Truitt, chancellor of Western Governors University North Carolina and a former education advisor to Governor Pat McCrory, ran for the Republican nomination. She defeated State Representative D. Craig Horn in the primary. This was the only Council of State election in which both candidates were women.

On Election Day, Truitt defeated Magnum by 2.76 percentage points. She won a slightly higher percentage of the vote than Mark Johnson did in 2016.

Declared
Withdrawn
  • Amy Jablonski, educational consultant and former teacher[18][19]

Results
Democratic primary results[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jen Mangrum 378,396 33.2
Democratic Keith Sutton 303,592 26.6
Democratic Constance Lav Johnson 240,710 21.1
Democratic James Barrett 122,855 10.8
Democratic Michael Maher 95,239 8.3
Total votes 1,140,072 100.0

Declared
Declined

Results
Republican primary results[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Catherine Truitt 391,915 56.7
Republican D. Craig Horn 299,578 43.3
Total votes 691,493 100.0

Polling
Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size		 Margin of
error		 Catherine
Truitt (R)		 Jen
Mangrum (D)		 Undecided
Harper Polling/Civitas (R) October 22–25, 2020 504 (LV) ± 4.4% 42% 45% 13%
Harper Polling/Civitas (R) September 17–20, 2020 612 (LV) ± 3.96% 38% 38% 22%
Harper Polling/Civitas (R) August 6–10, 2020 600 (LV) ± 4.0% 35% 35% 31%

Results
North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction election, 2020[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Catherine Truitt 2,753,220 51.38% +0.78%
Democratic Jen Mangrum 2,605,169 48.62% -0.78%
Total votes 5,358,389 100.0%
Republican hold

Commissioner of Agriculture

Incumbent Commissioner Steve Troxler, a Republican, ran for a fifth term.

Declared
  • Walter Smith, 2012 and 2016 Democratic nominee[5]
  • Jenna Wadsworth, Wake County Soil and Water Conservation District supervisor[18]
  • Donovan Alexander Watson, businessman[5]

Results
Primary results by county:
Democratic primary results[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jenna Wadsworth 609,910 54.0
Democratic Walter Smith 344,111 30.5
Democratic Donovan Alexander Watson 175,207 15.5
Total votes 1,129,228 100.0
Declared
  • Steve Troxler, incumbent Agriculture Commissioner (unopposed in the primary)

Polling
Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size		 Margin of
error		 Steve
Troxler (R)		 Jenna
Wadsworth (D)		 Undecided
Meeting Street Insights (R) October 24–27, 2020 600 (LV) ± 4% 50% 42% 6%
Harper Polling/Civitas (R) October 22–25, 2020 504 (LV) ± 4.4% 47% 44% 9%
Harper Polling/Civitas (R) August 6-10, 2020 600 (LV) ±  4.0% 42% 34% 24%

Results
North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture election, 2020[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Steve Troxler (incumbent) 2,901,849 53.86% -1.60%
Democratic Jenna Wadsworth 2,485,722 46.14% +1.60%
Total votes 5,387,571 100.0%
Republican hold

Commissioner of Labor

Cherie Berry was first elected to the position of Commissioner of Labor in 2000 and took office as only the second Republican Labor Commissioner in the history of North Carolina. On April 2, 2019, Berry announced that she would not seek re-election, and would retire from politics. Josh Dobson, a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives since 2013, won the Republican primary over Chuck Stanley, a construction safety manager, and former State Rep. Pearl Burris-Floyd. Wake County commissioner Jessica Holmes was the only Democrat to run. Dobson won the general election with 50.8% of the vote.

Declared
Declared
  • Pearl Burris-Floyd, former state representative[22]
  • Josh Dobson, state representative[23]
  • Chuck Stanley, construction safety manager[5]
Declined

Results
Republican primary results[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Josh Dobson 274,379 40.3
Republican Chuck Stanley 257,883 37.9
Republican Pearl Burris-Floyd 148,710 21.8
Total votes 680,972 100.0

General election
Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size[lower-alpha 1]		 Margin of
error		 Josh
Dobson (R)		 Jessica
Holmes (D)		 Undecided
Meeting Street Insights (R) October 24–27, 2020 600 (LV) ± 4% 43% 47% 7%

Results
North Carolina Commissioner of Labor election, 2020[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Josh Dobson 2,726,619 50.83% -4.36%
Democratic Jessica Holmes 2,637,528 49.17% +4.47%
Total votes 5,364,147 100.0%
Republican hold

Commissioner of Insurance

Incumbent Commissioner Mike Causey, a Republican, ran for a second term.

Declared
Declared
  • Mike Causey, incumbent State Insurance Commissioner
  • Ronald Pierce, candidate for North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance in 2016[5]

Results
Republican primary results[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mike Causey (incumbent) 448,066 64.6
Republican Ronald Pierce 245,851 35.4
Total votes 693,917 100.0

Polling
Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size[lower-alpha 1]		 Margin of
error		 Mike
Causey (R)		 Wayne
Goodwin (D)		 Undecided
Cardinal Point Analytics (R) July 22–24, 2020 735 (LV) ± 3.6% 45% 37% 8%
Cardinal Point Analytics (R) July 13–15, 2020 547 (LV) ± 4.2% 41% 39% 20%

Results
North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance election, 2020[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Mike Causey (incumbent) 2,775,488 51.76% +1.36%
Democratic Wayne Goodwin 2,586,464 48.24% -1.36%
Total votes 5,361,952 100.0%
Republican hold

Notes
  1. Key:
    A – all adults
    RV – registered voters
    LV – likely voters
    V – unclear
  2. Did/would not vote with 3%
  3. Would/did not vote with 3%
  4. Would not vote with 1%
  5. "Some other candidate" with 3%; would not vote with 2%

See also

References
  1. "Article III". North Carolina Constitution. State of North Carolina. Archived from the original on March 27, 2017. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
  2. State Board of Elections: General Election results for Council of State. Accessed Nov. 14, 2020.
  3. Coleman, Dashiell (January 18, 2019). "Gaston's Chad Brown to run for N.C. secretary of state". Gaston Gazette. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
  4. Dunn, Andrew (January 7, 2019). "Michael LaPaglia to run again for N.C. Secretary of State". Longleaf Politics. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
  5. State Board of Elections: State candidate list by contest
  6. "03/03/2020 OFFICIAL LOCAL ELECTION RESULTS - STATEWIDE". North Carolina State Board of Elections.
  7. "An Updated Look at Handicapping the 2020 Secretary of State Elections". The Cook Political Report. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
  8. "State Composite Abstract Report - Contest.pdf" (PDF). North Carolina State Board of Elections. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  9. "Candidate Questionnaire: Luis Toledo, State Auditor". INDY Week. February 11, 2020.
  10. "Meet the candidates vying to protect taxpayer funds as N.C.'s state auditor". The Daily Tar Heel.
  11. Fain, Travis (June 7, 2019). "State auditor raffles off car for re-election campaign". WRAL. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
  12. Campbell, Colin (September 20, 2019). "The state auditor's top attorney is running against her in 2020". Raleigh News & Observer. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
  13. Daily Tar Heel
  14. "Charlotte Councilwoman announces she's running for NC State Treasurer". WSOCTV. December 12, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  15. "Indian American Economist Ronnie Chatterji Announces Candidacy for Treasurer in North Carolina". India West. May 23, 2019. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
  16. Moomey, Liz (July 26, 2019). "Rowan native Matt Leatherman announces bid for NC treasurer". Salisbury Post. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
  17. WRAL: State school superintendent wants lieutenant governor job
  18. Bonner, Lynn; Thompson, Elizabeth (March 10, 2019). "Who's running in North Carolina's 2020 statewide races?". The News & Observer.
  19. Bell, Liz (November 25, 2019). "State superintendent candidates talk about early learning, race in North Carolina schools". EDNC. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
  20. Hinchcliffe, Kelly (October 18, 2019). "Republican lawmaker considering running for state superintendent in 2020". WRAL. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
  21. "Former Johnston County School Teacher Announces Candidacy For NC Superintendent Of Public Instruction". The Johnston County Report. November 26, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  22. Stewart, Gavin (September 10, 2019). "Gaston Republican running for state labor commissioner". Gaston Gazette. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
  23. "Dobson plans run for Labor commissioner". The McDowell News. May 6, 2019.
  24. De La Canal, Nick (April 2, 2019). "NC Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry Won't Run In 2020". WFAE 90.7.
  25. Amy O'Connor (November 5, 2020). "Causey Re-Elected as North Carolina Insurance Commissioner". Insurance Journal.
Official campaign websites for Secretary of State
Official campaign websites for Auditor
Official campaign websites for Treasurer
Official campaign websites for Superintendent
Official campaign websites for Ag Commissioner
Official campaign websites for Labor Commissioner
Official campaign websites for Insurance Commissioner
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