When North Carolina voters go to the polls next year, they’ll be choosing new management for state agencies that handle the day-to-day, nitty-gritty operations of government.
Because the state constitution splits North Carolina’s executive branch between 10 different elected officials, they’ll be choosing a lot of them. And thanks to a combination of scandal, early retirement and upward mobility, they’ll have to choose new leaders for six of 10.
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Gov. Roy Cooper is term limited, meaning there will be a new occupant of the Governor’s Mansion. Three of the people vying to replace him — Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, Attorney General Josh Stein and State Treasurer Dale Folwell — are stepping down in their pursuit of the role.
State Auditor Beth Wood resigned from her seat, effective Friday. She decided not to seek reelection after being charged last month for using a state vehicle for personal errands. She agreed to pay a fine and serve a year under probation Friday, the last day of candidate filing in North Carolina’s 2024 elections.
Wood is being replaced by former Wake County Commissioner Jessica Holmes, who was tapped by Cooper to serve the rest of Wood’s term. Holmes is running to keep the seat in the 2024 election.
State Labor Commissioner Josh Dobson rounds out the exodus. A popular Republican in his first term, Dobson announced a year ago that he wouldn’t seek a second, saying little more than it was time to step away.
Gary Pearce, who’s been working in North Carolina politics since the 1970’s, said he couldn’t think of an election cycle with such “remarkable turnover” on the Council of State, which is the North Carolina Constitution’s name for the 10 statewide elected positions.
Residents might not see an immediate impact. After all, the gears of government turn because of the rank-and-file employees who run state agencies. But new leaders bring new priorities.
“People are going to want to bring their team in to lead it,” said Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, a Democrat who is seeking reelection. “Even if it’s the same party, they’re going to want to bring their team in to lead.”
She added: “There’s something to be said for stability. There’s something to be said for predictability. Agencies have enough leeway … that the priorities of the leader could change the direction of the agency.”
Marshall has been the council’s most experienced member for some time, serving since 1997. She beat Richard Petty — yes, the one known as “the King” of NASCAR — to win that first term.
“We will have a lot of new people,” Marshall said of the next Council of State. “I’ve been bracing myself for this for a while. Because it’s going to be different. I’ve been the longest serving for a while now, but as politics gets more fractious, I hope that that does not interfere with the work of the council of state.”