Democratic NC Gov. Josh Stein calls for building a stronger state — with GOP collaboration
With the remnants of snow and ice on the historic State Capitol grounds melting on Saturday afternoon, new North Carolina Democratic Gov. Josh Stein gave his inaugural address to a small crowd in the old House chamber and viewers around the state.
Less than two weeks after taking office, Stein talked about what being “North Carolina Strong” means to him, like living up to the example of other North Carolinians, from neighbor helping neighbor recover from the devastation of Helene in the western part of the state, to bipartisanship between Democrats and Republicans.
His first example: When the original Capitol building burned about 200 years ago, “quick-thinking bystanders rushed into the building to save most of the official archives and the portrait of George Washington that still hangs here inside the House chamber to this day.”
The painting of Washington was displayed directly behind Stein as he gave his address.
Stein also talked about the 1916 flood in Morganton, praising rescuer Will Clark, who saved a neighbor.
Praise for ‘neighbor helping neighbor’ after Helene
Those who helped after Helene flooding in Western North Carolina “revealed our state’s character,” Stein said. For example:
▪ Black Mountain Police Chief Steve Parker and other first responders,
▪ Terryll Evans, owner of WPTL-AM radio station in Canton, for sharing information,
▪ Watauga County business owner Ashley Galleher for distributing supplies,
▪ Amy Davis and her family, for providing meals in McDowell County at their country store and cafe, and
▪ Ashley Cook and Freddy Carpenter, for hauling food and equipment for people in Avery County.
“Truly, I could stand here all day and list heroes who performed acts of courage and decency in ways large and small,” Stein said. “My point is this: Our people are good, and they are ready to meet any challenge.”
Inauguration events changed with the weather
Stein walked into the House chamber with his wife, Anna Stein, and children Leah, Adam and Sam, from the Senate chamber across the rotunda. Just a few dozen family members, friends, staff and journalists were there to watch.
It was a much pared-down event, after the weather led to cancellation of the planned outside ceremony with thousands of people, a block party and an open house at the mansion. The ball was postponed. Outside the Capitol building, which has some offices but is mostly ceremonial and for historic tours, some platforms remained that were built in anticipation of the larger, outdoor ceremony, before snow and ice arrived across the state on Friday.
Who is NC’s new governor?
Stein, North Carolina’s first Jewish governor, defeated former Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson in November to win the governor’s race.
He got here working his way up the ranks of state government: first as a state senator, then two terms as attorney general.
In his speech, he described working as attorney general with the legislature to pass laws to address opioid overdoses, open the courts to more childhood sexual abuse survivors and clear the state’s backlog of untested evidence kits in rape cases.
He follows his friend and mentor into office, former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who also served as attorney general and a legislator ahead of becoming governor. Cooper did not attend the speech on Saturday.
Also like Cooper, Stein is a Democrat working with, and sometimes against, a Republican-controlled legislative branch.
How Stein wants to work with Republicans
Stein outlined his policy priorities of teacher raises, lowering taxes on working people, fighting the fentanyl crisis and ensuring safety.
He also doesn’t want to fight about it with Republicans. Stein said the state has “real problems to solve, and we do not have time to settle petty political scores or fight divisive culture wars. I want to stand with you as we fight for our people, not with each other.”
As a Democratic governor, Stein has no choice but to work with Republicans, who hold a veto-proof supermajority in the Senate and are one vote short of a supermajority in the House. When Republicans have had total control, they passed an abortion restrictions law and laws about transgender athletes and children, among other legislation on social issues.
Stein praised both former Republican Gov. Jim Holshouser for working with Democrats in the legislature to be the first state in the South to offer statewide kindergarten, and Cooper for working with a Republican legislature to pass Medicaid expansion.
New House Speaker Destin Hall, a Caldwell County Republican, told reporters on Wednesday that he has talked to Stein multiple times since Stein was sworn-in on Jan. 1.
Republicans’ response to Stein
Hall said that his first priority when the General Assembly returns on Jan. 29 is to pass more Helene recovery funding, and that he knows Stein is “committed to a storm relief in Western North Carolina as well. I’m going into it just like my caucus is, in good faith, and I believe the governor will do the same.”
Hall said one place he thinks everyone will agree is that “we’ve got to get people back in their homes as quickly as possible. And so I hope that politics don’t get in the way of that.”
This story was originally published January 11, 2025 at 5:03 PM with the headline "Democratic NC Gov. Josh Stein calls for building a stronger state — with GOP collaboration."
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