NC endorsements: Editorial board’s choices in 6 important Council of State primaries

Council of State officials oversee critical areas in state government. Here are the editorial board’s endorsements in contested and notable Democratic and Republican primaries. Our endorsements in primaries for NC auditor and NC treasurer were published Tuesday.

NC Insurance Commissioner

Republican incumbent Mike Causey has been under fire from both Democrats and Republicans. He fired, then reinstated, top fire safety officials in a political fight against Republicans in the legislature that’s resulting in him losing his role as state fire marshal. Also, a News & Observer investigation revealed a pattern of hires with political and personal ties under Causey’s leadership, including paying a longtime friend more than $80,000 in salary to drive him around the state. Causey told the editorial board that the friend, Roger Blackwell, also advises on policy, which raises additional questions.

Republicans might not prefer their other choices. Robert Brawley is a longtime legislative maverick once called “radioactive” by a member of his own party. Political newcomer and former insurance regulator Andrew Marcus has a decent grasp of the commissioner’s role, but he boasts about wanting to investigate Chinese communist influence in insurance despite admitting to the editorial board that he has no evidence any such influence exists.

We recommend Brawley, who has a significant background in insurance and deep knowledge of the industry.

In the Democratic primary, state senator Natasha Marcus and small business entrepreneur David Wheeler agree on the need for transparency in the commissioner’s office, but not on the efficacy of the North Carolina Rate Bureau (Wheeler is more open to reforming the structure, which has historically kept insurance rates down compared to other states.) Marcus, who has served on the Commerce & Insurance Committees, brings a precise and thorough approach to everything she does. Wheeler has displayed erratic behavior in his campaign that doesn’t bode well for the office.

We recommend Marcus.

Superintendent of Public Instruction

Former Guilford County superintendent Mo Green, longtime educator C.R. Katie Eddings and high school principal Kenon Crumble are running in the Democratic primary. Green is the clear choice. He has a deep knowledge of education challenges, a history of successes in confronting them, and a clear-eyed perspective on the landscape facing public education in a state with an unfriendly Republican-led legislature.

We endorse Green. (Note: Opinion Editor Peter St. Onge served on a community leadership council from 2016-19 for the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation while Green was the foundation’s executive director.)

The editorial board is not endorsing in the Republican primary.

Labor Commissioner

Incumbent Republican Josh Dobson isn’t running for a second term, and Braxton Winston is running unopposed in the Democratic primary. Republican primary voters will choose between four candidates. One stands out.

Jon Hardister is serving his sixth term in the NC House. Thoughtful Republicans tell the editorial board that Hardister has a sharp mind, an impressive attentiveness to detail, and is among the party’s young leaders. He’s certainly done his homework on the role he wants, showing a firm grasp of the office’s responsibilities and constituents.

Hardister told the editorial board that worker safety will be a priority, and he wants to serve employers by looking for opportunities to eliminate unnecessary regulation. A priority that would benefit both workers and companies: Hardister wants to launch a workforce development task force to more intentionally connect businesses and labor, including skilled workers.

We recommend Hardister in the Republican primary.

Agriculture Commissioner

Republican Steve Troxler has been North Carolina’s commissioner of agriculture since 2005. He’s seeking a sixth term and faces primary opponent Colby Hammonds, a farmer and retired Army Colonel who wants to promote the connection between consumers and locally produced goods.

Troxler has served North Carolina and its agriculture industry well. The agriculture and agribusiness industries continue to thrive under his watch, and the Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund has helped conserve farm and forest land and provide funding for agriculture development projects.

We recommend Troxler.

Secretary of State

Retired CEO Jesse Thomas, former law enforcement officer and emergency response manager Christine Villaverde, and public servant Chad Brown are running to unseat longtime Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, who is unopposed as a Democrat.

Of the three, Thomas displays the fullest grasp of the essential responsibilities of the Secretary of State’s office. We recommend Thomas.

This story was originally published February 22, 2024 at 6:00 AM with the headline "NC endorsements: Editorial board’s choices in 6 important Council of State primaries."