(C) Daily Kos
This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .



NC-Gov: AG Josh Stein (D) Reminds Voters Abortion Rights Are Back On The Ballot Launching Gov Bid [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.', 'Backgroundurl Avatar_Large', 'Nickname', 'Joined', 'Created_At', 'Story Count', 'N_Stories', 'Comment Count', 'N_Comments', 'Popular Tags']

Date: 2023-01-18

Attorney General Josh Stein (D. NC)

Some big news today out of North Carolina:

x I’m in! I’m running for Governor to fight for our future. As your AG, I have taken on big fights for you and won, time after time. That’s what I’ll do as your next Governor. Together, we can build a better and brighter North Carolina. pic.twitter.com/4l3HCzecMJ — Josh Stein (@JoshStein_) January 18, 2023 North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein will run for governor in 2024, he announced in a video Wednesday morning. The news confirms widespread speculation that he’d seek to replace Gov. Roy Cooper, a fellow Democrat, who is term-limited and can’t run again. Stein is among the most prominent Democrats in the state and in recent years has attracted national attention for some of his work as attorney general, particularly with lawsuits against opioid manufacturers and the e-cigarette company Juul. Stein is the first major candidate for the governor’s race. However, it’s likely that both the Democrats and the Republicans will have competitive primaries since the seat will be open, with no incumbent running, for the first time since 2012.

Here’s some more context:

“Some politicians want to tell you who you should hate, when you’ll be pregnant, and who you can marry,” Stein, a Democrat, said in a statement Wednesday. “I believe in a different North Carolina — and that the fights we choose determine what kind of state we’ll become.” said he’s also likely to run for the state’s highest executive office. Polling late last year indicated that he’d outperform another possible Republican candidate, state Treasurer Dale Folwell. If Stein were to win his party’s nomination, he could face Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, who is staunchly anti-abortion. Robinson hasfor the state’s highest executive office. Polling late last yearanother possible Republican candidate, Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper is not able to run for governor in 2024 because of term limits. , raising more than $5 million. He currently has about $4 million on hand, according to his campaign. Stein has been the state’s top law enforcement officer for six years. In recent years, he has amassed a sizable pile of campaign cash , raising more than $5 million. He currently has about $4 million on hand, according to his campaign. In multiple interviews with WRAL News last year, Stein expressed a desire to run and stated one of his main priorities will be defending access to abortion. The longtime Democrat made his views clear in an August news conference at the state’s Department of Justice office: "Politicians are playing with women's lives,” Stein said. “Decisions about reproductive care are deeply personal. They should be made by a woman in consultation with her loved ones and her doctor. They should not be made by politicians." During his 13-year political career as a lawmaker in the state Senate and as North Carolina’s top lawyer and law enforcement officer, Stein has played a leading role in a national opioid settlement, extended mail-in ballot collection times in the 2020 election, reduced the state’s testing backlog on sexual assault kits and is now eyeing the influence social media companies have on children.

FYI, here’s some info on his Stein’s potential top opponent:

Mark Robinson, the Guilford County native who rose to be lieutenant governor largely based on a reputation for making pointed and sometimes incendiary speeches, delivered one Saturday that clearly reinforced his opposition to abortion. Robinson was the keynote speaker at North Carolina Right to Life’s 25th annual Rally and March for Life, and to the crowd estimated by the News & Observer to be about 1,000 he admonished abortion and said, “We have to stand up for life.” The highest-ranking elected Republican in the state, Robinson is a presumptive candidate for governor in 2024, and his remarks seemed to embrace that possibility while also ignoring another reality: He and his wife once had an abortion. Robinson’s remarks came after the U.S. Supreme Court in June abolished Roe v. Wade and its protections for access to abortion and opened new discussions in the North Carolina General Assembly about tightening the state’s current, 20-week limit on access to abortion.

And Stein is anticipating Robinson will jump into the race:

x EXCLUSIVE: Josh Stein talks about Mark Robinson, his possible GOP opponent for governor. “Do the voters want someone who fights culture wars, or someone who fights for them?” Stein said. By Kevin Maurer @ScribblerSix for @TheAssemblyNC. #ncpol #ncleg https://t.co/F1SbvLplGd — John Drescher (@john_drescher) January 18, 2023 In our interview, Stein talked less about himself, and more about his likely opponent: firebrand Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson. Robinson, the state’s first African American lieutenant governor, has relied on social issues delivered in a combative preacher’s cadence. He’s built a hardline warrior persona, though he’s recently added more emphasis on his upbringing and early years. Stein sees the contrast with Robinson as the focus of his campaign. “Do the voters want someone who fights culture wars, or someone who fights for them?” Stein said. “Someone who thinks … the climate crisis isn’t real, versus someone who wants to prepare for the future. Someone who wants to tell women when they’ll be pregnant, versus somebody who believes and will defend people’s personal freedoms and reproductive healthcare. Someone who believes homosexuality is filth, versus somebody who believes that we’re all children of God?” A 2022 survey for the progressive organization Carolina Forward showed Robinson with a commanding early lead among Republican primary voters. U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis and state Treasurer Dale Folwell are also rumored to be mulling bids for the Republican nomination.

North Carolina is a handful of Governor races next year and it’s important we hold onto the Governorship. Health and Democracy are on the ballot next year and we need to get ready to keep North Carolina Blue. Click here to donate and get involved with Stein’s campaign.

[END]
---
[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/1/18/2147833/-NC-Gov-AG-Josh-Stein-D-Reminds-Voters-Abortion-Rights-Are-Back-On-The-Ballot-Launching-Gov-Bid

Published and (C) by Daily Kos
Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified.

via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/

You are viewing proxied material from magical.fish. The copyright of proxied material belongs to its original authors. Any comments or complaints in relation to proxied material should be directed to the original authors of the content concerned. Please see the disclaimer for more details.