Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios
A full slate of candidates have announced they're running for North Carolina governor, and we're less than a year and a half away from the Nov. 5, 2024 general election.
State of play: The winner next fall will replace outgoing Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who has served as the party's last line of defense against the Republican-controlled state legislature since his election in 2016.
- The race could also determine whether this swing state turns red, as Republicans currently hold a majority on the state Supreme Court and a supermajority in the legislature — though the entire legislature is up for re-election in 2024.
Republicans running:
- Republican State Treasurer Dale Folwell
- Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson
- Former state Sen. Andy Wells
- Retired health care executive Jesse Thomas
- Salisbury lawyer and former aide to Sen. Jesse Helms Bill Graham
Democrats running:
- Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein
- Former state Supreme Court Justice Mike Morgan
Who has dropped out
- Former Republican Congressman Mark Walker has left the governor's race to run for U.S. Congress again in the newly drawn 6th district.
Editor's note: This story will be updated as the race progresses. Check back for the latest.
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