Down-Ballot Races You Should Be Paying Attention To This Election Season
...and other info you could use as we approach early voting
With all eyes on the White House and Republican candidate Mark Robinson making a joke out of the North Carolina gubernatorial race, there are many North Carolina races that are flying under the radar this election season.
We’re here to tell you that, while of course it’s important to vote for those races at the top of your ticket, there’s a lot going on down below that is worth your attention. Here is a rundown of five of those races.
There are local, statewide and federal races appearing up and down the ballot this year, so here’s a glimpse at what Mecklenburg County voters can expect.
For a look at what districts you live in, as well as voting location and other info, check out the NC State Board of Elections’ Voter Search tool.
Early voting begins on Oct. 17, and if you vote early, you can vote at any of the 33 sites spread across Mecklenburg County this year.
NC Supreme Court
Democratic incumbent Justice Allison Riggs and Republican candidate Jefferson Griffin are running for a seat on the NC Supreme Court, the last resort in questions of state law as its body reviews decisions from lower courts, oversees judicial discipline, determines errors in legal procedures’ interpretation of the law and more.
The NC Supreme Court currently has a 5-2 Republican majority and will move to a 6-1 supermajority should Griffin take Riggs’ seat.
Riggs is a former civil and voting rights attorney who was appointed to the NC Court of Appeals by Gov. Roy Cooper in 2023, then the NC Supreme court nine months later.
Griffin, a former District Attorney for Wake County and current North Carolina Court of Appeals judge, has previously accused Justice Riggs of advancing a liberal agenda through the courts and violating the Code of Judicial Conduct by making public statements on how she would rule on cases while being vocal about protecting abortion rights.
Griffin, however, voiced his opinion during a Black man’s routine traffic-stop case in 2021 to assert his belief that racial bias does not exist in the criminal justice system.
The self-proclaimed “constitutional conservative” is proudly endorsed by a number of North Carolina’s county sheriffs and claims his judicial philosophy as a textualist and originalist, an ideology that denies the law should adapt as society changes.
As stated on his website: “Judge Griffin believes the words of the Constitution mean what they say. Judge Griffin believes in the separation of powers, judicial restraint and the independence of the judiciary.”
During a candidate forum hosted by the Chatham County NAACP and Hispanic Liaison Forum in Pittsboro, Riggs stressed what was at stake this election, stating, “This is sort of the first domino that needs to fall to make sure that we’re restoring a majority of people who believe in the Constitution and will rule without fear or favor and are driven more by a commitment to the rule of law than bipartisan interest.”
NC Attorney General
Democratic candidate Jeff Jackson and Republican candidate Dan Bishop are running to replace Democratic gubernatorial candidate Josh Stein in his current position as NC attorney general. Both candidates are members of the U.S. House of Representatives.
The attorney general heads the North Carolina Department of Justice and is the state’s chief legal advisor, providing legal opinion to the governor, general assembly and other state officials.
Jackson espouses the importance of bipartisan governance, supporting law enforcement and insisting the attorney general’s role “isn’t about left or right – it’s about doing what’s right on behalf of the people. Partisanship has no place in the conduct of the office,” according to his website.
Jackson served in the NC Senate after working as a prosecutor in Gaston County. He is currently facing a defamation lawsuit from Bishop’s campaign in response to claims from Jackson’s campaign that Bishop represented clients who stole from the elderly, something he denies.
Bishop and Republican Senator Ted Budd were recently criticized for voting against funding the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) before Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina, making those funds critical to recovery efforts.
Bishop gained notoriety in 2016 as a co-author of the deeply discriminatory House Bill 2, known as North Carolina’s “bathroom bill,” which led national businesses to pull money out of the state until a compromise was reached.
Then in 2020 and 2021, Bishop was a fierce election denier whose regular misinformation supporting Donald Trump’s lies about election fraud were said to insight protesters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
NC Secretary of State
Democratic incumbent Elaine Marshall and Republican candidate Chad Brown are running for North Carolina secretary of state, who heads the Department of the State and oversees operations relating to the state’s economy and businesses.
Elected to the role in 1996, Marshall became the first woman to hold a statewide executive branch office in North Carolina and is now running for her seventh term. She has also served on the NC Senate and worked as a lawyer defending domestic abuse survivors.
Brown is the chair of the Gaston County Board of Commissioners and former mayor of Stanley. According to Brown’s website, he is Christian, pro-life, pro second amendment, and, if you haven’t parsed this out yet, conservative.
“I rely on my christian values to help guide my way through political issues,” he says on his website. “I’ve taken a proud stance for the unborn! I’ve fought for issues where my vote cannot be swayed and proud to cast the lone vote for my beliefs.”
His website states that, as secretary of state, he would protect our elections and make sure every vote is counted.
The secretary of state’s office does not manage or conduct elections, as Marshall has been reminding misinformed constituents since Trump made election denialism such a large part of his party’s platform.
Brown also openly supports Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson, whose extremist rhetoric has made him extremely unpopular even amongst his own party in the months leading up to the election.
On Brown’s Facebook page, he says Republican leaders are “working together in order to take our state and country back to the conservative & faith based initiatives that made us GREAT for so long!!!”
Marshall, on the other hand, promises to continue working to cut red tape and reduce paperwork to make North Carolina a top state for business.
NC Superintendent of Public Instruction
Democratic candidate Maurice (Mo) Green is facing Republican candidate Michele Morrow in the race for NC Superintendent of Public Instruction, who oversees North Carolina’s public school system, acts as the chief administrative officer of the NC State Board of Education and directs the department’s $11-billion budget, among other duties.
Green previously worked as a school district superintendent, a school board attorney and chief executive for a large foundation that awards grants supporting public education.
Morrow, a former nurse and homeschool teacher, defeated incumbent Catherine Truitt in the Republican primary in March and has since garnered national attention for her past extremist social media posts.
In 2020, Morrow called for the televised execution of former President Obama and the death of then President-elect Biden. Morrow also attended the Jan. 6 insurrection, posting (and quickly deleting) a video following the riot that called for a pro-Trump military coup.
Morrow condemned the NC Association of Educators for school closures during the pandemic on her website, saying it was “prioritizing social justice over academics.” Morrow’s platform of “American Unity and Patriotism” says NC school districts subject students to “one-sided lessons portraying America as a racist and oppressive nation.”
In February, Morrow told The Raleigh News & Observer that “the only diversity and equity our schools should be promoting is diversity of ideas and teaching methods and equity of opportunity.”
She is also an advocate for the Parents’ Bill of Rights, which LGBTQ+ organizations have called extremely harmful to trans kids.
Green is running on a platform to invest more in public schools, as compared to Morrow, who has supported a private school voucher program that funnels money away from public schools and into a fund to help send children to private schools.
Also listen to these recent Nooze Hounds episodes featuring candidates who are being challenged this election season:
Referenda: Constitutional Amendment
Voters will be able to vote “For” or “Against” House Bill 1074 which would amend the North Carolina Constitution to provide for citizens-only voting. State and federal laws already require US citizenship to vote and Democrats say the amendment isn’t necessary and will only sow confusion, leading voters to think non-citizens are voting in elections.
Democracy NC said the amendment “ignores state and federal laws that already require US citizenship to vote and robust election safeguards that ensure only qualified US citizens cast ballots in our elections.”
The amendment would change state constitutional wording from “Every person born in the United States and every person who has been naturalized…” to “Only a citizen of the United States…”
“The concern is looking down the road, and we’re seeing what’s happened in some other states where some activist judges have come in and tried to find loopholes to allow non-citizens to vote,” House Speaker Tim Moore said at the bill’s first House committee. “And we just need to shut the door on that very clearly.”
“My biggest concern about this is, why is it necessary? It may cause public confusion, it may be expensive to add it to the ballot,” Rep. Pricey Harrison told WUNC. “We actually have pretty clear state law right now and pretty clear constitutional provisions that non-citizens can’t vote.”
A vote “For,” means a vote for the wording to be changed and to remove language about “naturalized citizens,” or people born outside of the US who have gained US citizenship. Voting “Against” the amendment would leave the current wording unchanged.
City of Charlotte Bonds
Voters will be asked to select “Yes” or “No” to authorize the city to invest $400 million in bond referendums. The bonds will be split between three ballot questions: transportation, housing, and neighborhood improvement.
Transportation Bonds
The transportation bond includes $238,300,000 to provide funds for road repair, reducing traffic congestion and making the roads safer. Part of the investments would go to bridge inspection, repair and replacement throughout the city, upgrading traffic control devices (traffic signals, pedestrian signals, detection devices, etc.) and resurfacing streets.
The money would redesign, improve and/or extend the Eastway Dr./Shamrock Dr. intersection, the Idlewild/Monroe/Rama intersection and Rea Rd.
The bonds would also improve sidewalk gaps and connections to make Charlotte a more walkable city, as well as connecting bicycle facilities to make biking more convenient. This bond would not be related to the much-discussed Red Line plan, for which the city still needs permission from the NC General Assembly to put on the local ballot in 2025.
Housing Bonds
The housing bond includes $100 million in a mix of public, private and non-profit funding to benefit people of low and/or moderate income by constructing infrastructure improvements. The bonds would create new projects to provide affordable housing options.
The $100 million is a significant increase from the $50 million granted in 2022, an upgrade Habitat Charlotte Region says is necessary.
“The Housing Trust Fund is the City’s primary vehicle to address the affordable housing crisis. The Fund supports the development of affordable housing units by offering grants to developers. This allows the City to work towards making affordable and quality housing available to the citizens of Charlotte who need it,” the nonprofit organization wrote in a statement.
Neighborhood Improvement Bonds
The neighborhood improvement bond includes $61,700,000 to provide new pedestrian and bicycle paths, sidewalks and economic development in underserved areas of the city, specifically in Corridors of Opportunity.
The bonds would reimburse the development of new roadways and intersection improvements at Kenilworth Avenue and Pearl Parkway and between Johnston Road and North Community House Road while supporting improvements to the I-485 ramps and covering the costs of Garrison Road North infrastructure in the River District.
The below list will round out your ballot depending on which district you’re in, only including races in which there is a challenge, not races in which someone is running unopposed.
*Incumbents
STATEWIDE RACES
NC Governor
Mark Robinson (R)
Mike Ross (L)
Vinny Smith (C)
Josh Stein (D)
Wayne Turner (G)
NC Lieutenant Governor
Rachel Hunt (D)
Wayne Jones (C)
Hal Weatherman (R)
Shannon W. Bray (L)
NC Auditor
Bob Drach (L)
Jessica Holmes (D)*
Dave Boliek (R)
NC Commissioner of Agriculture
Sean Haugh (L)
Sarah Taber (D)
Steve Troxler (R)*
NC Commissioner of Insurance
Natasha Marcus (D)
Mike Causey (R)*
NC Commissioner of Labor
Luke Farley (R)
Braxton Winston II (D)
NC Treasurer
Wesley Harris (D)
Brad Briner (R)
NC Court of Appeals Judge Seat 12
Tom Murry (R)
Carolyn Jennings Thompson (D)
NC Court of Appeals Judge Seat 14
Ed Eldred (D)
Valerie Zachary (R)
NC Court of Appeals Judge Seat 15
Chris Freeman (R)
Martin E. Moore (D)
NC State Senate District 37
Kate Compton Barr (D)
Vickie Sawyer (R)
NC State Senate District 42
Woodson Bradley (D)
Stacie McGinn (R)
NC House of Representatives District 98
Beth Gardner Helfrich (D)
Melinda Bales (R)
NC House of Representatives District 99
Nasif Majeed (D)*
Rob Yates (F)
NC House of Representatives District 103
Laura Budd (D)*
Joshua Niday (R)
NC House of Representatives District 104
Brandon Lofton (D)*
Krista Bokhari (R)
NC House of Representatives District 105
Nicole Sidman (D)
Tricia Ann Cotham (R)
LOCAL RACES
Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners
District 1
Elaine Powell (D)*
Aaron R. Marin (R)
District 2
Vilma D. Leake (D)*
Angela White Edwards (R)
District 3
George Dunlap (D)*
Felicia R. Thompkins (D)
District 5
Laura Meier (D)*
Arthur McCulloch (R)
District 6
Susan Rodriguez-McDowell (D)*
Jim Marascio (R)
Soil & Water Conservation District Supervisor (Non-partisan)
Tigress Sydney Acute McDaniel
Mitchell Mullen
Lisa Carol Rudisill
