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All 10 members of theNorth Carolina Council of State | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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North Carolina elections to choose members of theCouncil of State (who head various executive branch departments) were held November 4, 2008. This coincided with thepresidential,U.S. Senate,U.S. House,gubernatorial, andstatewide judicial elections.
Primary elections were held on May 6, 2008, for races in which more than one candidate filed for a party's nomination.[1]
One of the results of the general election was that women held a majority (six of 10) of the seats on the Council of State for the first time.[2] Only one incumbent, Republican state auditorLes Merritt, was defeated.[3] Democrats held the open races for governor, lieutenant governor, treasurer, and insurance commissioner.
GovernorMike Easley term-limited, so he was not able to run for a third consecutive term as governor. Lieutenant GovernorBev Perdue won the Democratic primary, andCharlotte mayorPat McCrory won the Republican primary.[4]Michael Munger was the nominee of the Libertarian Party.
Purdue defeated McCrory in the general election with 50.3% of the vote to McCrory's 46.9%. Perdue was the first female governor of North Carolina.[5]
Lt. Governor Bev Perdue was term-limited and decided to run for governor. State SenatorWalter Dalton won the Democratic primary, and State SenatorRobert Pittenger won the Republican primary. Phillip Rhodes was nominated by the Libertarian Party.
In the general election, Dalton defeated Pittenger. Dalton received 51.1% of the vote and Pittenger received 45.9%.
Incumbent Secretary of StateElaine Marshall (Democratic) defeated attorney Jack Sawyer (Republican) on November 4, 2008.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Elaine F. Marshall (incumbent) | 2,291,980 | 56.80 | –0.52 | |
| Republican | Jack Sawyer | 1,743,158 | 43.20 | +0.52 | |
| Turnout | 4,079,831 | 65.53 | |||
Incumbent AuditorLes Merritt (Republican) was defeated byBeth Wood, Former Director of Training for the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor on November 4, 2008.[7][8][6] Wood had previously defeatedFred Aikens, a retired state employee and retired colonel in theNorth Carolina Army National Guard, in the Democratic primary.[9] Wood won approximately 65% of the vote in the primary.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Beth A. Wood | 2,175,242 | 53.57 | +4.01 | |
| Republican | Leslie Merritt (incumbent) | 1,885,229 | 46.43 | –4.01 | |
| Turnout | 4,060,471 | 65.22 | |||
Incumbent attorney generalRoy Cooper (Democratic) defeated Bob Crumley (Republican), an attorney and owner of Crumley and Associates.[6]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Roy Cooper (incumbent) | 2,538,178 | 61.10 | +5.49 | |
| Republican | Bob Crumley | 1,615,762 | 38.90 | –5.49 | |
| Turnout | 4,153,940 | 66.72 | |||
IncumbentRichard H. Moore (Democratic) announced on May 22, 2007, that he would seek the 2008 Democratic nomination forgovernor.
Candidates to succeed him included three Democrats—state Sen.Janet Cowell,[10] Michael Weisel,[11]andBuncombe County CommissionerDavid Young[12]—and one Republican, state Rep.Bill Daughtridge.
Cowell won the Democratic primary with approximately 46 percent of the vote. Young came in second, with 36 percent.
On November 4, 2008,Janet Cowell defeatedBill Daughtridge.[6]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Janet Cowell | 2,179,665 | 53.62 | –0.89 | |
| Republican | Bill Daughtridge | 1,885,724 | 46.38 | +0.89 | |
| Turnout | 4,065,389 | 65.29 | |||
Incumbent SuperintendentJune Atkinson (Democratic)won renomination by defeatingNorth Carolina Association of Educators president Eddie Davis in the Democratic primary (with about 53 percent of the vote).[13] RepublicansJoe Johnson[14] andEric H. Smith[15] lost to former state House co-SpeakerRichard T. Morgan in the Republican primary.
On November 4, 2008, Atkinson defeated Richard Morgan.[6]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | June Atkinson | 2,177,934 | 53.66 | +3.53 | |
| Republican | Richard T. Morgan | 1,881,075 | 46.34 | –3.53 | |
| Turnout | 4,059,009 | 65.19 | |||
Incumbent CommissionerSteve Troxler (Republican) defeated attorney Ronnie Ansley (Democratic).[16][6]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Steve Troxler | 2,130,146 | 52.05 | +2.01 | |
| Democratic | Ronnie Ansley | 1,962,741 | 47.95 | –2.01 | |
| Turnout | 4,092,887 | 65.74 | |||
Four Democrats --Robin Anderson, chair of the State Personnel Commission,[17] Ty Richardson, Mary Fant Donnan, a former N.C. Department of Labor official,[18] and former Labor CommissionerJohn C. Brooks—filed to run against incumbent CommissionerCherie Berry (Republican).
Mary Fant Donnan finished first, with almost 28 percent of the vote, in the May 6 primary. Brooks was the runner-up. Brooks called for a June 24 runoff, which was his right, because no candidate won more than 40 percent of the vote in the first primary.[19][20] Donnan defeated Brooks in the runoff, with approximately 68 percent of the vote, becoming the Democratic nominee.[21][22]
On November 4, 2008,Cherie Berry defeated Mary Fant Donnan.[6]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Cherie Berry | 2,065,095 | 50.61 | –1.49 | |
| Democratic | Mary Fant Donnan | 2,015,442 | 49.39 | +1.49 | |
| Turnout | 4,080,537 | 65.54 | |||
Incumbent CommissionerJames E. Long (Democratic) surprised observers by not seeking another term.[23] His chosen successor, assistant Commissioner and former state Rep.Wayne Goodwin, defeated David C. Smith in the Democratic primary by winning about 56 percent of the vote. John Odom, a formerRaleigh city councilman, was the only Republican candidate. Mark McMains was the candidate of theLibertarian Party.[24]
On November 4, 2008, Goodwin defeatedMark McMains andJohn Odom.[6]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Wayne Goodwin | 2,106,870 | 51.57 | –6.07 | |
| Republican | John Odom | 1,822,452 | 44.61 | +2.25 | |
| Libertarian | Mark McMains | 153,517 | 3.76 | N/A | |
| Other | Write-ins | 2,358 | 0.06 | N/A | |
| Turnout | 4,085,197 | 65.61 | |||
