Election Day is less than two months away, but voting is expected to start in just a few weeks. From school board races to the presidential race , you'll have quite a few decisions to make on this year's ballot.
Why it matters: Your vote always matters. But this year, North Carolina voters may decide the race for president. Voters could also help decide which party controls Congress and whether Republicans hold onto their supermajority in the state Legislature.
- Plus: Local and judicial races, though they receive less hype, have a major influence on your everyday life.
Keep reading for a guide to some of the most consequential races in the Triangle this year.
- To see what will be on your specific ballot: Head to the state's voter registration lookup , search your name, and scroll until you see a heading titled "YOUR SAMPLE BALLOT." Click the link under "Your Sample Ballot(s)."
Key dates
Sept. 20: Military and overseas absentee ballots go out to people who've requested them, according to the state elections board .
Sept. 24: All other absentee ballots begin being mailed.
Oct. 11: Last day to register to vote . Do so by 5pm, unless you plan to take advantage of same-day registration during the early voting period.
- Check that you're registered to vote and your information is up to date here .
Oct. 17: In-person early voting begins. Find early voting sites .
Oct. 29: Last day to request your absentee ballot . Do so by 5pm.
Nov. 2: In-person early voting ends at 3pm.
Nov. 5: Election Day. Polls are open 6:30am-7:30pm.
- Don't forget your driver's license or another acceptable photo ID from this list.
- Absentee ballots must be returned by 7:30pm. Here's everything you need to know about voting by mail .
Of note: Absentee ballots were scheduled to go out on Sept. 6 but that date was pushed back after the state Supreme Court ordered county elections boards to reprint ballots without former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s name on them.
Candidates are listed in alphabetical order by last name. Uncontested races are not included.
Constitutional amendment
North Carolinians will vote on whether to amend the constitution , rewriting it to read that "only a citizen of the United States" can vote, rather than "every person born in the United States and every person who has been naturalized."
- Of note: It's already illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections, but supporters of the change say it would make it "absolutely clear" they cannot.
U.S. president
Vice President Kamala Harris (Democrat) will face former President Trump (Republican) in what's expected to be a nail-biter race in the state.
Mark Robinson, left, and Josh Stein. Photo illustration: Axios Visuals. Photo: Courtesy of campaigns
Statewide races
Governor: Mark Robinson (Republican) is running against Josh Stein (Democrat) to replace term-limited Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper in one of the most expensive and competitive governor's races in the country.
- Also running: Mike Ross (Libertarian), Vinny Smith (Constitution) and Wayne Turner (Green).
- Robinson, the state's lieutenant governor, is somewhat of a political newcomer who burst onto the political scene in 2018 when he gave an impassioned speech on gun rights in front of the Greensboro City Council. Robinson would be North Carolina's first Black governor.
- Robinson is backed by Trump and has been vocal about ensuring parents' right to have a say in what their children are taught. He also backs abortion restrictions, though he and his wife decided to get an abortion 30 years ago .
- He's often made national headlines in recent years for his slew of degrading statements about women , Jewish people and the LGBTQ community.
- Stein, a Chapel Hill native who has climbed the ranks of state government, has served as the attorney general since 2017. He would be the state's first Jewish governor.
- As AG, Stein has helped win a $26 billion opioid settlement , the second-largest state attorney general settlement in history . He has tackled the state's backlog of sexual assault kits and recently went after TikTok .
Lieutenant governor: Rachel Hunt (Democrat) will face Hal Weatherman (Republican) for a position that wields little power.
- Also running: Shannon Bray (Libertarian) and Wayne Jones (Constitution).
- The lieutenant governor serves as the president of the state Senate and can step in as governor if needed. They sit on several boards, including the North Carolina Board of Education.
- Hunt, the daughter of former four-term North Carolina Gov. Jim Hunt, is a state senator representing Mecklenburg County.
- Weatherman was chief of staff to former North Carolina Lt. Gov. Dan Forest and former U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick. He also worked for former Rep. Madison Cawthorn .
Photo illustration: Axios Visuals. Photos: U.S. House of Representatives.
Attorney general: Dan Bishop (Republican) is running against Jeff Jackson (Democrat) to be the state's top law enforcement officer, which is often a pipeline to the governor's mansion.
- Bishop and Jackson both represent Charlotte in Congress.
- Bishop, one of the state's most prominent and controversial Republicans, would be the first Republican attorney general in over a century. As a state senator, he was the architect of HB2 — the since-repealed state law that restricted transgender people from using bathrooms that align with their gender identity. He's a member of the far-right House Freedom Caucus.
- Jackson, an Army National Guardsman and former state senator, has amassed a globally recognized TikTok and social media following for explaining what happens in Washington in simple terms.
State auditor: Dave Boliek (Republican) vs. Jessica Holmes (Democrat, incumbent).
- Also running: Bob Drach (Libertarian).
- Cooper appointed Holmes to replace former State Auditor Beth Wood, who resigned in late 2023 almost a year after news broke she had hit a car in downtown Raleigh and fled the scene. Wood endorsed Boliek.
Agriculture commissioner: Sarah Taber (Democrat) is taking on Steve Troxler (Republican, incumbent).
- Also running: Sean Haugh (Libertarian).
- This office is North Carolina's main food and drug safety agency. Troxler has headed it since 2005, winning each election with broad bipartisan support. Taber owns a farm systems consulting business.
Commissioner of insurance: Mike Causey (Republican, incumbent) vs. Natasha Marcus (Democrat).
- The insurance commissioner is the state fire marshal and regulates the insurance industry.
- Marcus, a state senator, is trying to oust two-term commissioner Causey.
Photo illustration: Axios Visuals. Photos: Courtesy of the campaigns.
Commissioner of labor: Braxton Winston (Democrat) vs. Luke Farley (Republican).
- The labor commissioner is the person you know from staring at their headshot while riding the elevator, but the job is much bigger. The Labor Department protects businesses and workers' rights.
- Winston is Charlotte's former mayor pro tem, and Farley is an attorney from Wake County.
- The North Carolina Chamber described Farley as a "far-right candidate whose two main campaign platform items were banning vaccine requirements for employees and 'Making Elevators Great Again.'" But the chamber has since said it believes it could work well with him.
Secretary of State: Chad Brown (Republican) vs. Elaine Marshall (Democrat, incumbent).
- This office is charged with strengthening the economy, keeping tabs on charitable donations and overseeing the creation of new companies.
- When Marshall beat NASCAR legend Richard Petty in the 1996 race for secretary of state, she became the first woman elected to statewide office in North Carolina.
- Brown is Gaston County commissioner chair. He was a professional baseball player and previously served as the mayor of Stanley.
Photo illustration: Axios Visuals. Photos: Courtesy of campaigns
Superintendent of public instruction: Maurice (Mo) Green (Democrat) vs. Michele Morrow (Republican).
- The state superintendent is the "face" and head of the Department of Public Instruction, managing a $11 billion public school budget annually.
- Morrow, who upset incumbent Republican Superintendent Catherine Truitt in the primary, has captured national attention for her contentious past statements, such as calling public schools " indoctrination centers ." She also attended the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and homeschooled her children.
- Truitt recently said she would not endorse Morrow.
- Green was formerly the executive director of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, superintendent of Guilford County Schools and general counsel for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education.
Treasurer: Brad Briner (Republican) and Wesley Harris (Democrat) are running to replace Republican state treasurer Dale Folwell, who didn't seek another term and instead unsuccessfully ran to be the Republican candidate for governor.
- The treasurer oversees health care and retirement benefits for state employees, including more than 950,000 teachers and law enforcement officers.
- Harris represents Mecklenburg County in the state House, and Briner previously led an investment firm that manages Mike Bloomberg's assets.
N.C. Supreme Court associate justice, seat 6: Jefferson Griffin (Republican) vs. Allison Riggs (Democrat, incumbent).
- Riggs was appointed in 2023 to replace former Supreme Court Associate Justice Mike Morgan, who ran for governor and lost in the Democratic primary this year.
- Republicans seized a 5-2 majority on the court in the 2022 election, and the winner of this seat will determine if Democrats continue to hold two seats.
Appeals courts hear cases from trial courts to determine whether any legal errors were made.
Here are the appeals court seats — all statewide races — on this year's ballot:
Screenshot:
North Carolina General Assembly Congress
2nd Congressional District (Wake County): Deborah Ross (Democrat, incumbent) vs. Alan Swain (Republican).
- Ross, a former state lawmaker, has served in Congress since 2021.
- Swain, an Army veteran, worked in the Clinton and Bush administrations and served as the Wake County GOP chair.
4th Congressional District (Orange, Durham and parts of Chatham and Wake counties): Valerie Foushee (Democrat, incumbent) vs. Eric Blankenburg (Republican).
- Also running: Guy Meilleur (Libertarian).
- Foushee, a former state lawmaker, was first elected to represent the district in 2022.
13th Congressional District (Lee, Harnett, Johnston, Franklin, Person, Caswell, and parts of Granville and Wake counties): Brad Knott (Republican) vs. Frank Pierce (Democrat).
N.C. General Assembly
28 legislative seats (9 Senate seats and 19 House seats) are up for grabs in Wake, Durham and Orange counties.
Here are some of the races to watch that may help determine whether Republicans claim a supermajority:
Senate District 18: Terence Everitt (Democrat) vs. Ashlee Bryan Adams (Republican).
- Also running: Brad Hessel (Libertarian).
- Adams and Everitt, who has served in the state House since 2019, are running to replace outgoing state Sen. Mary Wills Bode.
Screenshot: North Carolina General Assembly House District 35: Evonne Hopkins (Democrat) vs. Mike Schietzelt (Republican).
House District 37: Safiyah Jackson (Democrat) vs. Erin Paré (Republican, incumbent).
- Also running: Christopher Robinson (Libertarian).
- Paré, who has served in the Legislature since 2021, is seeking to remain the only legislative Republican representing Wake County.
Screenshot: North Carolina General Assembly Orange
Orange County Board of Commissioners:
Town of Carrboro Town Council: Cristobal M. Palmer vs. Isaac Woolsey
Wake
Raleigh mayor: Janet Cowell , Paul Fitts , Eugene Myrick , Terrance (Truth) Ruth , James Shaughnessy IV .
Raleigh City Council at-large (vote for two): James Bledsoe , Joshua Bradley , Stormie Denise Forte (incumbent), Jonathan Lambert-Melton (incumbent), Katie Pate , Reeves Peeler and Robert Steele Jr.
- Forte was elected in 2022. Lambert-Melton was elected in 2019. Steele's fiancée was one of those killed in Raleigh's Hedingham neighborhood mass shooting.
Raleigh City Council District A: Mary Black-Branch (incumbent), Whitney Hill and Mitchell Silver .
Raleigh City Council District B: Jennifer McCollum and Megan Patton (incumbent).
Raleigh City Council District C: Corey Branch (incumbent), DaQuanta Copeland , Tomara DeCosta , Daniel Grant-King , Jared Ollison , Tolulope Omokaiye and Portia Rochelle .
Raleigh City Council District E: John Cerqueira and Christina Jones (incumbent).
Wake County Board of Commissioners District 6: Jacob Arthur (Republican) vs. Shinica Thomas (Democrat, incumbent).
Wake County School Board District 4: Sean Callan, Toshiba Rice (incumbent), Robert Morales Vergara and Mike Williams.
- Morales Vergara, who had the backing of the Wake County GOP, dropped out of the race last month, saying he was disappointed in the party. He instead endorsed Rice, a Democrat. Morales Vergara will still appear on the Wake County ballot, however.
Wake County School Board District 5: Lynn Edmonds (incumbent) and Ted Hills.
Wake County School Board District 6: Sam Hershey (incumbent) and Josh Points .
Wake County School Board District 8: Lindsay Mahaffey (incumbent) and Elizabeth McDuffie .
Wake Soil and Water Conservation District supervisor: Mark Boone , Brian Lewis and Reese Wamsley .
N.C. Superior Court District 10C, seat 1: Sean A. B. Cole (Democrat), Stephanie Davis (unaffiliated) and Becky Holt (Republican, incumbent).
N.C. Superior Court District 10F, seat 1: Jennifer Bedford (Democrat) vs. Graham Shirley (Republican, incumbent).
N.C. District Court Judge District 10D, seat 3: Kevin Boxberger (Democrat, incumbent) vs. Karl Roth (Republican).
Editor's note: This story has removed details of the Orange County Board of Commissioners District 1 race, in which two candidates are running uncontested for two seats.
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