Election 2024: Treasurer’s race one of six to change Council of State

(The Center Square) – When North Carolinians select their next state treasurer, it’ll be more new blood to the 10-member Council of State.

Republican Brad Briner and Democrat Wesley Harris each needed primary wins in March. The victor between the two on Nov. 5 will be one of at least six changes in who is representing offices in the state’s executive leadership.

Election Day is 26 days away , early in-person voting starts next week on Thursday, and absentee by mail voting has already begun.

Briner and Harris are vying to succeed Republican Dale Folwell, the two-term treasurer who made a run at governor and lost in the Super Tuesday primary.

Briner is campaigning on improving the North Carolina Retirement System, one of the three focal points of the job as state treasurer. The others are administering the state’s health plan, and protecting a AAA credit rating.

He says better governance and investment strategy can allow the pension system to perform on par with peer states rather than leaving billions of dollars behind.

Harris also challenges the status quo on investment funding for the retirement system. His platform offers enhanced benefits and affordable health care as an attraction for potential new hires.

He also calls for more transparency in the office, making “information about our state’s financial situation” easily accessible to any North Carolinian. Harris said the office should not be “beholden to the partisan whims of the Legislature.”

Briner earned his undergrad at Carolina and has worked as an investment manager.

Harris earned his doctorate and graduate degree at Clemson and his undergrad at Carolina in economics. He’s been an educator and economic consultant.

The department’s mission, according to the state government website , “is to preserve, protect and sustain the state’s pension and health care plans; reduce investment fees while maximizing returns; properly account for and report on all funds that are deposited, invested, and disbursed through the North Carolina Department of State Treasurer; assure the financially sound issuance of debt for state and local governments; maintain the state’s ‘AAA’ bond rating; and provide exemplary service across all divisions of the department.”

Voters will not be selecting incumbents in races for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, commissioner of labor, treasurer or education superintendent. However, one of those, governor, will be won by either the current lieutenant governor or attorney general – Mark Robinson or Josh Stein, respectively.