Run-Off Primaries Over, We Now See the Full Awfulness of the Republican Slate

 

State Auditor, Republican Ballot

Dave Boliek, a member of the UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees which has been dismantling the outstanding reputation of our flagship university, won the second primary to run on the November ballot for State Auditor. He has grudges to tickle, with a long list of state agencies he wants to punish with threats of audits. He was particularly focused on sniffing out any "illegals" getting state money, the go-to for Republican candidates wishing to seem as cruelly trumpist as possible. He was so outspoken about revenge that his 2nd primary opponent Jack Clark, who actually finished first in this race last March, felt obliged to take a decidedly different, more judicial tack:

“I know most candidates running for auditor would promise you, ‘I’m gonna audit this, I’m gonna audit that,’” Clark told voters at an event in Cary last month. “That’s not what I see the auditor’s role as. The auditor is very much like a judge. You wouldn’t expect a judge to get up here and talk about who exactly they were going to try and what cases they were going to take up. And I don’t think the auditor should be doing that either.” [Anderson Alerts]

Of course Dave Boliek won with 53% of the vote, because North Carolina Republicans will almost always choose the extremist over the reasonable candidate.

 

Lieutenant Governor, Republican Ballot

Hal Weatherman, who was former Lt. Gov. Dan Forest's chief of staff and main political strategist, easily won the 2nd primary against Jim O'Neill, Forsyth County District Attorney who had come close to beating current Attorney General Josh Stein in 2020. Weatherman had been endorsed by current candidate for Governor Mark Robinson. Say no more.

The 2024 Republican Slate for the Council of State (with Democratic Opponents)

For Governor, Mark Robinson vs. Democrat Josh Stein, currently A.G.

For Lt. Gov., Hal Weatherman vs. Rachel Hunt, currently a state senator

For A.G., Dan Bishop vs. Jeff Jackson, currently a U.S. congressman

For State Auditor, Dave Boliek vs. Jessica Holmes, currently State Auditor appointed by Gov. Cooper

For Ag. Commish, Steve Troxler vs. Sarah Taber, an agriculture consultant

For Insurance Commish, Mike Causey (I) vs. Natasha Marcus, formerly a state senator

For Labor Commish, Luke Farley vs. Braxton Winston II, currently mayor pro tem of Charlotte

For Secretary of State, Chad Brown vs. Elaine Marshall (I), currently Sec. of State

For Super of Public Ed., Michele Morrow vs. Mo Green, formerly exec. dir. of Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation 

For Treasurer, Brad Briner vs. Wesley Harris, currently a member of NC House