Another Republican joins NC's 2024 governor's race

Former state Sen. Andy Wells, who ran a distant second in the 2020 primary for lieutenant governor, throws his hat in the ring for governor.

Posted 2:31 p.m. Jul 20 — Updated 2:31 p.m. Jul 20

Travis Fain

, WRAL state government reporter

A fourth Republican has entered North Carolina’s 2024 governor’s race: Former state legislator and current Board of Transportation member Andy Wells.

A real estate developer, Wells promises to focus on economic issues, and he is critical of massive federal spending and its impact on inflation.

“Working families are struggling with inflation,” he said Thursday. “I can’t get workers to do work that I’ve got money to pay for.”

Wells, who is from Hickory, served one term in the North Carolina House and three in the state Senate. He ran for lieutenant governor in 2020, spending $500,000 of his own money on the race and placing a distant second in the Republican primary to now Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson.

Robinson is now the presumed front-runner in next year’s Republican gubernatorial primary, which has also drawn runs from State Treasurer Dale Folwell and former U.S. Rep. Mark Walker.

Robinson is popular with Republicans according to in early polling, but many within the party worry his controversial remarks will sink him in a general election. Wells has spoken out against some of the lieutenant governor's rhetoric.

Wells told WRAL News that fewer people paid attention to the lieutenant governor’s race compared to the governor’s race, and Robinson was able to carve out a base of support in a field of nine Republican candidates.

“While he has name ID, we can’t tell that people know a lot about him,” he said.

On the Democratic side, Attorney General Josh Stein is the only announced candidate, but state Supreme Court Justice Michael Morgan said late last month he’s considering a run.

Wells says on his campaign website that an economic storm is brewing and that people can’t trust Washington politicians to address it.

“Inflation, soaring prices, high interest rates, spell hard times for working families, family businesses,” he says on his campaign site. “We’ve all stared up at clear blue skies on gorgeous summer days, but sometimes, staring up you hear the rumble of thunder — and know it’s time to head for shelter.”

Wells said long-time Republican consultant Carter Wrenn is working with his campaign.

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