Endorsements: Our choices for NC Lt. Gov, Attorney General, Auditor, Treasurer and Insurance

Council of State officials oversee critical areas in state government. Today we offer recommendations in five races — Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Insurance commissioner, Treasurer and Auditor — with more endorsements to come. Videos of the board’s candidate interviews will be available soon.

Lieutenant Governor

The No. 2 spot on the N.C. ticket has a seat on the state Board of Education and a tie-breaking vote in the N.C. Senate, but there’s little else to the job other than the pulpit it provides. Republican candidate Mark Robinson has given North Carolinians a preview on that front, and it’s cringeworthy. On Facebook, he said Hollywood is demonic and criticized Black people for giving their “shekels” to Jewish movie producers.

North Carolinians don’t need that embarrassment, and they have a very capable alternative in Democrat Yvonne Lewis Holley. The four-term N.C. House member from Raleigh has long been a strong advocate for the under-served and a thoughtful, reasonable voice on issues that affect N.C. families. We strongly recommend her.

Attorney General

Democrat Josh Stein is what Republicans might call an “activist” state attorney general. He prefers to describe his style as “aggressive.” Whatever the adjective, it’s fair to say Stein isn’t shy about taking on an array of issues both in court and on Twitter - sometimes to the point of seeming like he’s running for higher office.

Stein’s Republican opponent, Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O’Neill, also stresses his aggressive approach, but in the narrower sense of courtroom prowess.

Stein has shown how much more the office can be. Among other successes, he’s worked to curb the opioid epidemic, sued polluters and stood up for N.C. voting rights. His office missed badly in not counseling against the ridiculous UNC contract for Silent Sam’s removal, but he has approached his job broadly and effectively. We recommend Stein for another term.

Insurance Commissioner

Republican Incumbent Mike Causey has long wanted to dismantle the N.C. Rate Bureau, but when the former Greensboro insurance agent defeated then-incumbent Wayne Goodwin in 2016, he realized that few agreed the Rate Bureau should go. Now Causey says he’s changed his mind on it.

Causey, like Goodwin before him, has kept auto and homeowners insurance premiums low by regularly rejecting insurance companies’ requests for rate hikes, then negotiating reasonable compromises. Average homeowners’ rates went up less under Causey than Goodwin, but auto premiums were increased more frequently under the incumbent, a Rate Bureau official told the Editorial Board. It’s largely a wash.

Since losing in 2016, Goodwin has become the chair of the N.C. Democratic Party. That position has made him more of a political figure, and we worry that could influence his relationships with lawmakers. We give a slight nod to Causey.

(Editor’s note: Due to a technical issue, we will not be publishing videos of candidate interviews for this race.)

Treasurer

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed a threat to some state pension plans, but thus far not in North Carolina, where state treasurers have been careful stewards of the North Carolina Retirement System. That includes current first-term treasurer Dale Folwell.

Folwell’s opponent, Democrat Ronnie Chatterji, would bring an impressive resume and innovative ideas to the job. He was an economic adviser to the Obama administration, and he believes the treasurer’s office should proactively invest in North Carolina businesses. He’s enhanced the discussion of what the treasurer’s role can be.

Folwell, who also manages the state healthcare plan, has had less success pushing for more transparency in hospital pricing. He has been impressively transparent himself, however, and we think he’s the right fit right now in this challenging financial climate. We recommend him.

N.C. Auditor

No public official, regardless of party, wants to hear that Democrat Beth Wood is on the line. She’s an effective, independent auditor who has a history of dogged and meaningful investigations. She also has been proactive with performance audits, including an ongoing examination of the state’s new accounting system.

Her opponent, Republican Anthony Wayne Street, was put on probation in connection with a stalking charge.

Wood has earned another term.

This story was originally published September 30, 2020 at 4:08 PM.