Heated North Carolina governor’s race ahead with Democrat Josh Stein vs. Republican Mark Robinson

By GARY D. ROBERTSON
Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein and Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson won North Carolina’s primaries for governor. Their victories on Tuesday set the stage for what will be an expensive and high-stakes November contest in a state that the two parties see as a pivotal battleground. Stein is a longtime member of North Carolina’s political scene who received the endorsement of term-limited Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper. He’d be the state’s first Jewish governor if elected. Robinson is a former factory worker who splashed into conservative circles after a 2018 viral speech to his hometown city council. He received former President Donald Trump’s endorsement, and would be the state’s first Black governor if elected.