Spending in North Carolina governor race on track to set new records

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — New data shows spending on North Carolina’s gubernatorial race is on track to significantly exceed spending from four years ago as Democratic state attorney general Josh Stein and lieutenant governor Mark Robinson seek to sway voters.

AdImpact, which tracks political spending, says as of mid-August, $77.7 million already either has been spent or is reserved for the race . About 76 percent of that spending is in support of Stein.

Meredith College political expert David McLennan says based on those numbers, total spending on the race could reach $125 million. That would top the approximate $70 million spent on the 2020 race .

“This is the most expensive governor’s race we’ve seen and maybe in the country this year,” McLennan said. “I wasn’t surprised when I saw the numbers, just the disparity in the numbers. The Stein campaign, not only in current spending, but in future spending is well outpacing Robinson’s campaign. I think that could be why Robinson is losing ground in the polls.”

Polling in the race this month has shown Stein leading Robinson between five and 10 percentage points. Those same polls have shown the presidential race in North Carolina to be much closer.

“Since Robinson and Stein weren’t well known to the average North Carolinian, this is shaping an impression for them,” McLennan said. “I think advertising is working. Money goes where it’s needed. And, if the gap does not narrow it’s hard to imagine a lot of people will put money into this race on the Robinson side.”

Stein has maintained a fundraising advantage over Robinson. In the second quarter of this year, Stein’s campaign reported raising $13.8 million compared to Robinson’s $5 million. Both are significantly outraising their party’s nominees from recent past elections.

While some of Stein’s ads have been about his own record, several have focused on previous statements Robinson has made, particularly about abortion. The lieutenant governor released an ad of his own on the issue, talking about his and his wife’s decision about 30 years ago to get an abortion and the lasting impact it’s had on them.

Stein released a new ad Monday focused on efforts to clear the backlog of untested sexual assault evidence kits. The attorney general announced earlier this year that milestone had been reached as a result of bipartisan legislation that the General Assembly passed. In 2017, Stein’s office said it determined that about 16,000 of those evidence kits had gone untested.

The ad features Robeson County District Attorney Matt Scott highlighting the cold case of a teacher who was assaulted in her home. The case was solved and a man was convicted following testing of the evidence kits.

“As Attorney General, Josh Stein has worked with Republicans and Democrats to clear the rape kit backlog and take violent criminals off of North Carolina’s streets,” said Jeff Allen, campaign manager for Josh Stein for North Carolina.

Republicans have pushed back on the issue, saying the backlog never should have climbed as high as it did in the first place. Stein was preceded in the attorney general’s office by incumbent Democratic governor Roy Cooper.

In a statement, Mike Lonergan, a spokesman for Robinson’s campaign said, “This ad is just Josh Stein’s latest pathetic attempt to gloss over his failed record of propping up the same anti-police and pro-criminal extremist policies of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Since Josh Stein took office, crime like domestic violence is on the rise across the state and he’s even already gotten himself in legal hot water for lying about rape and sexual assault kits.”

“From his support of ending cash bail to his ties to defund the police extremist groups, Josh Stein will continue to turn our state into a magnet for violent crime and dangerous drugs,” Longergan said in his statement. “As governor, Mark Robinson will partner with President Trump to crack down on violent crime and make our communities safer.”

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