The North Carolina Council of State elections of 2012 were held November 6, 2012 to select the nine officers of the
North Carolina Council of State
The North Carolina Council of State is the collective body of ten elective executive offices in the state government of North Carolina, all of which are established by the state constitution. The Council of State includes the Governor, Lieut ...
. This election coincided with the
U.S. presidential election,
U.S. House elections, the
gubernatorial election
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
and the
statewide judicial elections.
Primary elections were held on May 8, 2012; for races in which no candidate received 40 percent of the vote in the primary,
runoff elections (officially known as "second" primaries) were held on July 17.
The nine members of the North Carolina Council of State are statewide-elected officers serving four-year terms.
In the 2012 elections, all incumbents who ran for new terms were re-elected, while the
Lieutenant Governor's seat was open following incumbent
Walter Dalton
Walter H. Dalton (born May 21, 1949) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 33rd Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina. A member of the United States Democratic Party, Democratic Party, he served six terms in the state senate bef ...
's decision to run for governor. The partisan makeup of the Council of State changed from 7 Democrats (8 including the governor) and 2 Republicans before the election to 6 Democrats and 3 Republicans (4 including the governor) afterward.
Governor
Republican
Pat McCrory
Patrick Lloyd McCrory (born October 17, 1956) is an American businessman, politician and radio host who served as the 74th governor of North Carolina from 2013 to 2017. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 53rd Mayor ...
was elected governor.
Lieutenant governor
Republican
Dan Forest
Dan Forest (born October 15, 1967) is an American politician who served as the 34th lieutenant governor of North Carolina from 2013 to 2021. He is the son of former congresswoman Sue Myrick. An architect by trade, he was the Republican nominee ...
was elected lieutenant governor.
Attorney general
Roy Cooper
Roy Asberry Cooper III (born June 13, 1957) is an American attorney and politician, serving as the 75th governor of North Carolina since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 49th attorney general of North Carolina from 20 ...
, the Democratic incumbent
attorney general, ran for re-election unopposed.
Results
Secretary of State
Democratic primary
*
Elaine Marshall
Elaine Folk Marshall (born November 18, 1945) is an American attorney and politician who has served as the North Carolina Secretary of State since 1997. A member of the Democratic Party, she is the first woman to be elected to statewide offic ...
, the
Democratic incumbent
Secretary of State, ran for re-election.
Republican primary
*Michael Beitler, business professor;
Libertarian
Libertarianism (from french: libertaire, "libertarian"; from la, libertas, "freedom") is a political philosophy that upholds liberty as a core value. Libertarians seek to maximize autonomy and political freedom, and minimize the state's e ...
nominee for
US Senator
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and powe ...
in
2010 (changed his registration to
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
to run for Secretary of State)
*A.J. Daoud, business owner
*Kenn Gardner, former Wake County commissioner
[NC State Board of Elections: Candidate filing list](_blank)
*Ed Goodwin, Chowan County commissioner, retired
Naval Criminal Investigative Service
The United States Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) is the primary law enforcement agency of the U.S. Department of the Navy. Its primary function is to investigate criminal activities involving the Navy and Marine Corps, though its ...
agent
Polling
Primary results
As no candidate received 40 percent of the vote, state law allows the runner-up to request a second primary (or "runoff"). Gardner requested a runoff.
General election
Polling
Results
State Auditor
Democratic primary
*
Beth A. Wood, the Democratic incumbent
State Auditor, ran for re-election.
Republican primary
*Joseph Hank DeBragga, auditor for
North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) is an agency of the government of North Carolina that focuses on the preservation and protection of natural resources and public health. The Department is headed by the Secretary of E ...
*Greg Dority, three-time congressional candidate, Beaufort County Republican Party chairman
*Debra Goldman, Wake County School Board member
*
Fern Shubert
Fern H. Shubert is a former Republican member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state's thirty-fifth Senate district, including constituents in Mecklenburg and Union counties. An accountant from Marshville, North Carolina ...
, former state senator, former state representative,
certified public accountant
*Rudy Wright, Mayor of
Hickory, former certified public accountant
Polling
Primary results
As the runner-up, Dority chose not to request a runoff, making Goldman the nominee.
General election
Polling
Results
State Treasurer
Democratic primary
*
Janet Cowell
Janet Cowell (born July 19, 1968) is the former North Carolina State Treasurer, serving from 2009 to 2017, and is the first woman to hold that position in North Carolina. She was previously a two-term member of the Raleigh City Council and a ...
, the Democratic incumbent
State Treasurer, ran for re-election.
*Ron Elmer, investment consultant
[News & Observer: Two state incumbents face primary challengers](_blank)
/ref>
Polling
Primary results
Republican primary
*Frank Roche, talk radio host
*Steve Royal, certified public accountant
Polling
Primary results
General election
Polling
Results
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Democratic primary
*June Atkinson
June St. Clair Atkinson (born August 19, 1948) was elected North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction on November 3, 2004, in a race that was decided by the North Carolina General Assembly on August 23, 2005. She was re-elected in 2008 a ...
, the Democratic incumbent Superintendent
Superintendent may refer to:
*Superintendent (police), Superintendent of Police (SP), or Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), a police rank
*Prison warden or Superintendent, a prison administrator
*Superintendent (ecclesiastical), a church exec ...
, ran for re-election.
;Withdrawn Candidates
*Rick Glazier
Richard "Rick" Glazier (born June 16, 1955, in Allentown, Pennsylvania) served as a Democratic member of the North Carolina House of Representatives, representing the 45th district, from 2003 until his resignation in 2015. He resigned to become ...
, state representative
Republican primary
*Richard Alexander, South Carolina
)''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
teacher[News & Observer: A fellow Democrat wants Atkinson's job](_blank)
/ref>
*David Scholl, businessman and Union County School Board member
Polling
Primary results
As the runner-up, Alexander requested a runoff.
General election
Polling
Results
Commissioner of Agriculture
Republican primary
*Bill McManus, real estate investor, former attorney and accountant, former Democratic member of Massachusetts House of Representatives
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into single-member ...
Steve Troxler
Steve W. Troxler (born 1952) is an American farmer and Republican politician. He serves as the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services for North Carolina. Because of a contested election due to lost ballots in the November 2004 statewi ...
, the Republican incumbent Commissioner
A commissioner (commonly abbreviated as Comm'r) is, in principle, a member of a commission or an individual who has been given a commission (official charge or authority to do something).
In practice, the title of commissioner has evolved to in ...
, ran for re-election.
Polling
Primary results
Democratic primary
*Scott Bryant, farmer and former law enforcement officer
*Walter Smith, farmer, former USDA
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...
official, former mayor of Boonville
Polling
Primary results
General election
Polling
Results
Commissioner of Labor
Republican primary
*Cherie Berry
Nora Cherie Killian Berry (born December 21, 1946) is an American politician who served as the North Carolina Commissioner of Labor from 2001 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party, she was the first woman to hold the office.
Early life
Nora ...
, the Republican incumbent Commissioner
A commissioner (commonly abbreviated as Comm'r) is, in principle, a member of a commission or an individual who has been given a commission (official charge or authority to do something).
In practice, the title of commissioner has evolved to in ...
, ran for re-election.
Democratic primary
* John C. Brooks, former Commissioner of LaborPfizer
Pfizer Inc. ( ) is an American multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation headquartered on 42nd Street in Manhattan, New York City. The company was established in 1849 in New York by two German entrepreneurs, Charles Pfizer ...
(registered lobbyist
In politics, lobbying, persuasion or interest representation is the act of lawfully attempting to influence the actions, policies, or decisions of government officials, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying, which ...
), former Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) is a historically black public university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It is part of the University of North Carolina.
History
Winston-Salem State University was founded as Slater Industrial Academy o ...
official
*Ty Richardson, 2008 candidate
Polling
Primary results
As the runner-up, Foster requested a runoff.
General election
Polling
Results
Commissioner of Insurance
Democratic primary
*Wayne Goodwin
George Wayne Goodwin (born February 22, 1967) is an American politician. He was elected North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance in the 2008 election and re-elected in 2012. He was narrowly defeated in his bid for a third term in 2016. However, h ...
, the Democratic incumbent Commissioner
A commissioner (commonly abbreviated as Comm'r) is, in principle, a member of a commission or an individual who has been given a commission (official charge or authority to do something).
In practice, the title of commissioner has evolved to in ...
, ran for re-election.
Republican primary
*Mike Causey
John Michael Causey (born September 11, 1950) is an American politician who has served as the North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance since 2017.
John Michael Causey, a North Carolina Republican, has run for state Insurance Commissioner five t ...
, former lobbyist
*James McCall, insurance agent
* Richard T. Morgan, former state representative
Polling
Primary results
As the runner-up, Causey requested a runoff.Blue Ridge Now
/ref> Of all the statewide runoffs held on July 17, the Republican primary for Insurance Commissioner was the only one in which the top vote-getter changed from the first to the second primary.
General election
Polling
See also
*North Carolina Council of State elections: 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008.
References
External links
NC State Board of Elections
{{United States elections, 2012
Council of State
A Council of State is a governmental body in a country, or a subdivision of a country, with a function that varies by jurisdiction. It may be the formal name for the cabinet or it may refer to a non-executive advisory body associated with a head o ...
2012
North Carolina Council of State
The North Carolina Council of State is the collective body of ten elective executive offices in the state government of North Carolina, all of which are established by the state constitution. The Council of State includes the Governor, Lieut ...