Josh Stein | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) | |
| 76thGovernor of North Carolina | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2025 | |
| Lieutenant | Rachel Hunt |
| Preceded by | Roy Cooper |
| 51stAttorney General of North Carolina | |
| In office January 1, 2017 – January 1, 2025 | |
| Governor | Roy Cooper |
| Preceded by | Roy Cooper |
| Succeeded by | Jeff Jackson |
| Member of theNorth Carolina Senate from the16th district | |
| In office January 1, 2009 – March 21, 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Janet Cowell |
| Succeeded by | Jay Chaudhuri |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Joshua Harold Stein (1966-09-13)September 13, 1966 (age 58) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Anna Harris |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence(s) | Executive Mansion (primary) Western Residence (secondary) |
| Education | |
| Website | Campaign website |
Joshua Harold Stein (born September 13, 1966)[1] is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the 76thgovernor of North Carolina since 2025. A member of theDemocratic Party, Stein served from 2017 to 2025 as the 51stattorney general of North Carolina and from 2009 to 2016 in theNorth Carolina Senate.
Born in Washington, D.C., Stein moved toNorth Carolina with his family at an early age. He studied atDartmouth College and earned hisJuris Doctor degree fromHarvard Law School before being elected to representNorth Carolina's 16th Senate district in 2008. Stein left the State Senate upon winning the Democratic nomination in the2016 North Carolina Attorney General election, in which he defeated Republican nomineeBuck Newton by 0.54%.[2][3] He was reelected in2020, narrowly defeating Republican nomineeJim O'Neill by 0.26%.[4]
Stein chose not to seek a third term as state attorney general and instead ran for governor in the2024 election.[5] After winning the Democratic nomination, he defeated Republican nomineeMark Robinson in the general election by 14.82%.[6]
Stein was born on September 13, 1966, in Washington, D.C., the son of Jane (Stoneman) and Adam Stein.[7] His family moved toCharlotte, North Carolina, before settling inChapel Hill, where his father co-founded North Carolina's first integrated law firm.[8][9]
Stein attendedChapel Hill High School and played on its state championship soccer team.[10][11] After graduating, he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in history fromDartmouth College in 1988.[12] After college, he taught English and economics inZimbabwe.[13] Stein went on to earn degrees fromHarvard Law School and theKennedy School of Government.
In the 1990s, Stein worked as an intern for State RepresentativeDan Blue. Out of law school, Stein worked for the Self-Help Credit Union and the North Carolina Minority Support Center.[14] After managingJohn Edwards's1998U.S. Senate campaign,[15] he served as Edwards's deputy chief of staff from January 1999 to December 2000.[16] According to Edwards official Andrew Young,Elizabeth Edwards prevented her husband from naming Stein his chief of staff in the Senate because he withheld information from her at John's direction.[17]
In 2001, North Carolina Attorney GeneralRoy Cooper appointed Stein as Senior Deputy Attorney General for Consumer Protection.[10] He held that position until his election to the State Senate in 2008.[18][14] From 2012 until 2016, he served asof counsel at Smith Moore Leatherwood LLP, a regional law firm.
Stein defeated Republican John Alexander to represent the16th district in theNorth Carolina Senate in 2008.[19] After being reelected in 2010, he was elected minoritywhip by his colleagues.[20]
In the Senate, Stein worked to expand the state's DNA database, ban cyberstalking, extend and expand the state's renewable energy tax credit, and improve school safety.[21][22][23]
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In 2016, Stein became the firstJewish person to win a statewide election in North Carolina. As attorney general, he worked to eliminate North Carolina's backlog of untested sexual assault kits, the nation's largest.[24][25][26] This led to arrests in cases involving a 2015 assault and attempted murder inDurham, North Carolina;[27] assaults in 2009 and 2010 inFayetteville;[28] and a 1993 assault inWinston-Salem.[29]
Stein led the bipartisan effort of state attorneys general to negotiate a national settlement framework with drug companies—manufacturers, distributors, and pharmacy chains—over the nation'sopioid epidemic, totaling more than $50 billion.[30] North Carolina's share of the settlement was $1.5 billion.[31] Stein negotiated a memorandum of agreement with the state's counties that ensured the vast majority of the funds would go to prevention, harm reduction, treatment or recovery.[32] Johns Hopkins School of Public Health recognized this partnership as one of the best in the nation.[33]
In 2018, Stein filed a brief with theUnited States Supreme Court arguing in favor of theAffordable Care Act.[34] In 2019, he became the country's first attorney general to sue e-cigarette manufacturerJuul for unlawful marketing to minors.[35] Stein won multiple settlements with Juul totaling nearly $48 million, setting a standard the rest of the nation followed.[36][37]
Stein filed briefs supporting medication abortions and opposing restrictions on women from traveling to receive healthcare.[38][39] He opposed the state's 12-week abortion ban enacted in 2023.[40]
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Stein negotiated eight Anti-Robocall Principles with a bipartisan coalition of 51 attorneys general and 12 companies to protect phone users from illegal robocalls.[41] He also launched Operation Silver Shield, an effort to protect older North Carolinians from fraud and scams.[citation needed]
After theCOVID-19 pandemic began, Stein won a preliminary injunction against aCharlotte tow company sued for price-gouging[42] and announced the investigation of nine North Carolina–based sellers onAmazon accused of raising prices oncoronavirus-related products, including hand sanitizer and N95 masks.[43] Stein won more than $1 million in price-gouging cases.[44]
On August 21, 2021, the legislature voted to remove Stein as its legal representation before the courts after he refused to appeal the findings of a lower court that a North Carolina state law that disenfranchised anyone convicted of a felony was unconstitutional. Stein said he had been waiting for the ruling to be formally filed. Legislative leaders alleged Stein was "slow-walking" the case to allow felons to vote in the next election.[45][46][better source needed]
On January 18, 2023, Stein announced his candidacy forgovernor of North Carolina in the2024 election.[15] He was endorsed by Governor Roy Cooper and hundreds of other elected officials and organizations.[47][48]
OnSuper Tuesday, Stein advanced to the general election and faced Republicanlieutenant governorMark Robinson.[49] After a CNN report on inflammatory andantisemitic comments Robinson had made on a pornography forum, Stein became the heavy favorite.[50][51]
Stein won the election by a margin of 14.8%, even as RepublicanDonald Trump defeated DemocratKamala Harris by 3.2% in the concurrent2024 presidential election in North Carolina. Stein had previously won statewide by only 0.54% in 2016 and 0.26% in 2020.
On January 1, 2025, Stein was sworn in as the 76th governor of North Carolina, becoming the state's first Jewish governor.[52]
Stein is married toAnna Harris Stein. They have three children. He and his family are members of Temple Beth Or, aReform synagogue in Raleigh.[13] He is a former YMCA basketball andJ.C.C. soccer coach.[12]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Josh Stein | 58,357 | 60.83 | |
| Republican | John Alexander | 37,586 | 39.17 | |
| Total votes | 95,943 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Josh Stein (incumbent) | 32,248 | 54.89 | |
| Republican | Michael Beezley | 24,466 | 41.64 | |
| Libertarian | Stephanie Watson | 2,040 | 3.47 | |
| Total votes | 58,754 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Josh Stein (incumbent) | 69,405 | 100.00 | |
| Total votes | 69,405 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Josh Stein (incumbent) | 42,422 | 67.11 | |
| Republican | Jason Mitchell | 20,791 | 32.89 | |
| Total votes | 63,213 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Josh Stein | 510,003 | 53.37 | |
| Democratic | Marcus Williams | 445,524 | 46.63 | |
| Total votes | 955,527 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Josh Stein | 2,276,410 | 50.27 | |
| Republican | Buck Newton | 2,256,178 | 49.73 | |
| Total votes | 4,532,588 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Josh Stein (incumbent) | 2,713,400 | 50.13 | −0.14 | |
| Republican | Jim O'Neill | 2,699,778 | 49.87 | +0.14 | |
| Total votes | 5,413,178 | 100.00 | N/A | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Josh Stein | 476,448 | 69.64 | |
| Democratic | Michael R. Morgan | 97,908 | 14.31 | |
| Democratic | Chrelle Booker | 45,695 | 6.68 | |
| Democratic | Marcus Williams | 38,996 | 5.70 | |
| Democratic | Gary Foxx | 25,100 | 3.67 | |
| Total votes | 684,147 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Josh Stein | 3,069,496 | 54.90% | +3.38% | |
| Republican | Mark Robinson | 2,241,309 | 40.08% | –6.93% | |
| Libertarian | Mike Ross | 176,392 | 3.14% | +2.04% | |
| Constitution | Vinny Smith | 54,607 | 0.98% | N/A | |
| Green | Wayne Turner | 49,384 | 0.88% | N/A | |
| Total votes | 5,591,547 | 100% | |||
| Democratichold | |||||
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| North Carolina Senate | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member from the16th district 2009–2016 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forAttorney General of North Carolina 2016,2020 | Succeeded by |
| Democratic nominee forGovernor of North Carolina 2024 | Most recent | |
| Legal offices | ||
| Preceded by Roy Cooper | Attorney General of North Carolina 2017–2025 | Succeeded by Jeff Jackson |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Governor of North Carolina 2025–present | Incumbent |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded byasVice President | Order of precedence of the United States Within North Carolina | Succeeded by Mayor of city in which event is held |
| Succeeded by OtherwiseMike Johnson asSpeaker of the House | ||
| Preceded byasGovernor of New York | Order of precedence of the United States Outside North Carolina | Succeeded byasGovernor of Rhode Island |
Statewide political officials ofNorth Carolina | ||
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| U.S. senators |  | |
| State government | ||
| Senate |
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| House |
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| Supreme Court (elected) | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
