This post was written by Pro-Choice North Carolina summer 2024 intern Anna Brent-Levenstein
In the midst of one of the most tumultuous presidential races in history, it is easy to forget that so much more is at stake than the White House in November. While nationally, protecting the Presidency and key seats in Congress is absolutely crucial, the importance of state-wide races, especially in a solidly “purple” state like North Carolina, cannot be overstated. It was one flipped seat in the NC House that ushered in a swath of harmful and dangerous policies: a 12-week abortion ban, voter suppression bills, and anti-LGBTQ legislation. It could be one vote or one race that determines whether we will see more harmful policies, or if we can begin the fight towards progress.
In fact, before the seat flipped, it was Governor Cooper’s veto that blocked legislation loosening gun safety measures, mandating voter ID and budgets that prioritized corporate tax breaks over raises for public school teachers. Even though his vetoes on recent bills such as the abortion ban, a bill that takes away the permit requirement for gun ownership, and a trans sports ban have been overturned, he has continued to use his executive power to provide relief from medical debt, create reentry pathways for incarcerated people, and protect environmentally crucial land.
The Governor’s seat is one that we must fight to protect in November. Despite recent attempts to conceal his long-held beliefs, Lt. Governor Mark Robinson, the Republican candidate for Governor, has repeatedly affirmed his support for total abortion bans. He has spread harmful and sexist rhetoric on abortion including stating that women are to blame for not being “responsible enough to keep [their] skirt down.” In addition, he has called LGBTQ+ people “filth” and “maggots,” called the Holocaust “hogwash,” and has called school shooting survivors “spoiled, angry, know-it-all children.” On the other hand, Attorney General Josh Stein, the Democratic candidate for Governor, has vowed to protect access to abortion, birth control, and IVF, supports the expansion of Medicaid, investing in public education, fighting the climate crisis, and ending voter suppression. The stakes are high in this race, with the main party candidates offering starkly different visions for North Carolina.
The Governor’s race is a very important statewide race! But in order to ensure that a pro-choice, pro-democracy Governor’s veto is protected, we must also break the anti-abortion legislative supermajority in the House and Senate. The legislature is in control of passing legislation and budgets that impact all of our daily lives. While for the past decade the conservative legislative leadership has focused on policies to sow harm, inequity, and division, this state legislative body has potential to do significant good for North Carolinians, and who sits in those legislative chambers matters.
There are a number of very competitive races for NC House and Senate seats and you may live in one of those districts! Use the NCSBE voter search function to identify the districts you live in and research the candidates running. For reference, you can check out the NC legislative candidates the Pro-Choice NC PAC has endorsed this election cycle.
Moving further down the ballot are other races that will determine the future of reproductive freedom and wellbeing in our state. These include critical state court races in the NC Supreme Court and NC Court of Appeals. Post Dobbs, state courts have stood at the center of the fight for reproductive freedom. State courts packed with anti-abortion ideologues have upheld full abortion bans without exceptions. Meanwhile, state judges that are committed to protecting our rights from legislative and executive overreach have blocked abortion bans, ruled that state constitutions protect the right to abortion, and blocked attempts to restrict public funding for reproductive health care. For more information on the power judges hold in key sectors such as education, voting, criminal justice, LGBTQ+ rights, and environmental justice see Why Judges Matter NC, a website we created with our democracy partners.
The attorney general’s race will also be decisive for the future of abortion access and criminalization in the state. Attorneys general who support reproductive freedom have challenged laws that put lives at risk, supported the non-prosecution of patients and providers, and filed suits to protect funding for clinics. Conversely, those who do not have directed law enforcement resources to prosecute providers and denied exceptions to abortion bans even in cases of rape, incest, and life-threatening pregnancies. In North Carolina, the race is between Dan Bishop, an anti-abortion advocate who supports a ‘life at conception’ definition and Jeff Jackson, a staunch supporter of access to abortion and all forms of reproductive health care.
These races just scratch the surface. Local school board races will determine if public school teachers receive the raises and bonuses they deserve and whether current bans on books related to race, gender, and sexuality will be able to stand. The State Superintendent race will greatly impact the state constitutional right to a sound and quality public education, with a highly experienced education professional (Mo Green) running against a candidate (Michelle Morrow) with no background in public education, who wants to abolish the Board of Education, and has called public schools “indoctrination centers.” State Auditor Jessica Holmes, who will be up for re-election, has worked to audit our public education system to ensure the greatest quality of education for all children and programs helping the most vulnerable populations. Meanwhile, her opponent, Dave Boliek, is responsible for defunding DEI programs across the UNC systems and wants to use the position to audit the Board of Elections and cast doubt on our democratic processes.
These races are just some of the races that will be on your ballot! North Carolina voters deserve to be equipped with reliable information on these races that are too often left out of national and state media coverage, and that too many voters leave blank. Do not be one of those voters!
At Pro-Choice North Carolina, we vote the whole ballot because we know elected officials at all levels can and do impact our ability to control our bodies, lives, and futures. We are excited to share some fact sheets on key state-wide and local races are available for access. In addition, our social media pages will include information on these down ballot races and voting as we prepare for Election Day.
Remember to check your registration status here, look up your sample ballot, and make a plan of where and when you will vote in this upcoming election. In addition, see Common Cause NC’s Ready to Vote Voting Guide for key information on what you need to vote, what is on the ballot, and voter registration tips.
See you at the polls!