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Josh Stein

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Josh Stein
Stein in 2026
76th Governor of North Carolina
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 1, 2025
LieutenantRachel Hunt
Preceded byRoy Cooper
51st Attorney General of North Carolina
In office
January 1, 2017 – January 1, 2025
GovernorRoy Cooper
Preceded byRoy Cooper
Succeeded byJeff Jackson
Member of the North Carolina Senate
from the 16th district
In office
January 1, 2009 – March 21, 2016
Preceded byJanet Cowell
Succeeded byJay Chaudhuri
Personal details
BornJoshua Harold Stein
(1966-09-13) September 13, 1966 (age 59)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
PartyDemocratic
SpouseAnna Harris
Children3
Education
Signature
WebsiteCampaign website

Joshua Harold Stein (born September 13, 1966)[1] is an American politician and lawyer serving as the 76th governor of North Carolina since 2025. A member of the Democratic Party, Stein served as the 51st attorney general of North Carolina from 2017 to 2025 and in the North Carolina Senate from 2009 to 2016.

Having served two terms as state attorney general, Stein chose not to seek a third term and instead ran for governor in the 2024 election.[2] After winning the Democratic nomination, he defeated Republican nominee Mark Robinson in the general election by 14.82% in a year when the Republican nominee for President, Donald Trump, won by 3.2 points.[3][4] He is North Carolina's first Jewish governor.[5]

Stein won the Democratic nomination in the 2016 North Carolina Attorney General election, in which he defeated Republican nominee Buck Newton by 0.54%.[6][7] He was reelected in 2020, narrowly defeating Republican nominee Jim O'Neill by 0.26%.[8] Before serving as Attorney General, he represented North Carolina's 16th Senate district in 2008.

Early life and education

[edit]

Stein was born on September 13, 1966, in Washington, D.C., the son of Jane (Stoneman) and Adam Stein, of Jewish descent.[9] At an early age, his family moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, before settling in Chapel Hill, where his father co-founded North Carolina's first integrated law firm.[10][11]

Stein attended Chapel Hill High School and played on its state championship soccer team.[12][13] After graduating, he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Dartmouth College in 1988.[14] After college, he taught English and economics in Zimbabwe.[15] Stein went on to earn degrees from Harvard Law School and the Kennedy School of Government.

Early career

[edit]
Stein during his tenure as a state senator, 2013

In the 1990s, Stein worked as an intern for State Representative Dan Blue. Out of law school, Stein worked for the Self-Help Credit Union and the North Carolina Minority Support Center.[16] After managing John Edwards's 1998 U.S. Senate campaign,[17] he served as Edwards's deputy chief of staff from January 1999 to December 2000.[18] According to Edwards official Andrew Young, Elizabeth Edwards prevented her husband from naming Stein his chief of staff in the Senate because he withheld information from her at John's direction.[19]

In 2001, North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper appointed Stein as Senior Deputy Attorney General for Consumer Protection.[12] He held that position until his election to the State Senate in 2008.[20][16] From 2012 until 2016, he served as of counsel at Smith Moore Leatherwood LLP, a regional law firm.

Stein defeated Republican John Alexander to represent the 16th district in the North Carolina Senate in 2008.[21] After being reelected in 2010, he was elected minority whip by his colleagues.[22]

In the Senate, Stein worked to expand the state's DNA database, ban cyberstalking, extend and expand the state's renewable energy tax credit, and improve school safety.[23][24][25]

North Carolina Attorney General

[edit]
Stein speaks at a Fayetteville campaign rally, 2016

In 2016, Stein became the first Jewish person to win a statewide election in North Carolina. As attorney general, he worked to eliminate North Carolina's backlog of untested sexual assault kits, the nation's largest.[26][27][28] This led to arrests in cases involving a 2015 assault and attempted murder in Durham, North Carolina;[29] assaults in 2009 and 2010 in Fayetteville;[30] and a 1993 assault in Winston-Salem.[31]

Stein led the bipartisan effort of state attorneys general to negotiate a national settlement framework with drug companies—manufacturers, distributors, and pharmacy chains—over the nation's opioid epidemic, totaling more than $50 billion.[32] North Carolina's share of the settlement was $1.5 billion.[33] Stein negotiated a memorandum of agreement with the state's counties that ensured the vast majority of the funds would go to prevention, harm reduction, treatment or recovery.[34] Johns Hopkins School of Public Health recognized this partnership as one of the best in the nation.[35]

In 2018, Stein filed a brief with the United States Supreme Court arguing in favor of the Affordable Care Act.[36] In 2019, he became the country's first attorney general to sue e-cigarette manufacturer Juul for unlawful marketing to minors.[37] Stein won multiple settlements with Juul totaling nearly $48 million, setting a standard the rest of the nation followed.[38][39]

Stein filed briefs supporting medication abortions and opposing restrictions on women from traveling to receive healthcare.[40][41] He opposed the state's 12-week abortion ban enacted in 2023.[42]

Stein speaks at a department of motor vehicle license and theft event, 2021

Stein negotiated eight Anti-Robocall Principles with a bipartisan coalition of 51 attorneys general and 12 companies to protect phone users from illegal robocalls.[43] He also launched Operation Silver Shield, an effort to protect older North Carolinians from fraud and scams.[citation needed]

After the COVID-19 pandemic began, Stein won a preliminary injunction against a Charlotte tow company sued for price-gouging[44] and announced the investigation of nine North Carolina–based sellers on Amazon accused of raising prices on coronavirus-related products, including hand sanitizer and N95 masks.[45] Stein won more than $1 million in price-gouging cases.[46]

On August 21, 2021, the legislature voted to remove Stein as its legal representation before the courts after he refused to appeal the findings of a lower court that a North Carolina state law that disenfranchised anyone convicted of a felony was unconstitutional. Stein said he had been waiting for the ruling to be formally filed. Legislative leaders alleged Stein was "slow-walking" the case to allow felons to vote in the next election.[47][48][better source needed]

Governor of North Carolina

[edit]

Election

[edit]
Map of the 2024 North Carolina gubernatorial election results.

On January 18, 2023, Stein announced his candidacy for governor of North Carolina in the 2024 election.[17] He was endorsed by Governor Roy Cooper and hundreds of other elected officials and organizations.[49][50]

On Super Tuesday, Stein advanced to the general election and faced Republican lieutenant governor Mark Robinson.[51] Beginning in the summer, Stein consistently led in polling, and after a CNN report on inflammatory and antisemitic comments Robinson had made on a pornography forum, Stein became the heavy favorite.[52][53][54]

Stein won the election by a margin of 14.8%, even as Republican Donald Trump defeated Democrat Kamala Harris by 3.2% in the concurrent 2024 presidential election in North Carolina. Stein had previously won statewide by only 0.54% in 2016 and 0.26% in 2020.

Tenure

[edit]
Governor Stein (center) with his newly sworn in cabinet members, 2025

On January 1, 2025, Stein was sworn in as the 76th governor of North Carolina, becoming the state's first Jewish governor.[55]

As governor, Stein has prioritized western North Carolina's recovery from Hurricane Helene, the worst natural disaster to hit the state in recorded history and the 7th-costliest natural disaster in US history.[56] In July 2026, Stein signed his first budget into law after the state had gone without a budget for nearly three years amid a standoff between the state House and Senate, both held by Republicans.[57] Stein applauded the budget's investments in teacher pay, law enforcement pay, and Helene recovery, calling the starting teacher pay raises the highest in nearly half a century. He also criticized certain provisions, saying, "This budget has real flaws", pointing to cuts to the public sector workforce and provisions hostile to local governments.[58]

In December 2025, Stein announced that his first year in office marked the state's best year for corporate commitments of jobs and investments.[59] He also announced the culmination of the state's medical debt relief program, which forgave more than $6.5 billion in medical debt for more than 2.5 million people.[60] In early 2025, Stein launched a modernization effort of the state's DMV. He later said the overhaul had reduced customer wait times by about 87%.[61][62]

Stein has expressed support for the legalization of adult cannabis use, arguing the move is necessary for public safety because the state's current policy means "we have no rules whatsoever" regarding the regulation of the sale and production of cannabis.[63] In response to the killing of Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte, Stein called for "more cops on the beat" and later signed a bill into law overhauling the state's pre-trial release policies while criticizing it for not going far enough. He also reiterated his calls for the state legislature to pass a law enforcement package to address vacancies.[64] In July 2025, Stein criticized anti-Israel resolutions passed by North Carolina Democrats, saying the state Democratic Party "should focus on issues we're facing here".[65]

Approval ratings

[edit]
February 2025
Poll source Date Sample
size[a]		 MoE Approve Disapprove Unsure/
Other
Catawba College-YouGov June 1–10, 2026 1000 A ± 3.83% 53% 27% 20%
High Point University August 27–September 11, 2025 950 A ± 3.3% 46% 24% 30%
Catawba College-YouGov August 11–18, 2025 1000 A ± 3.83% 58% 30% 12%
Harper Polling/Carolina Journal August 11–12, 2025 600 LV ± 3.98% 50.5% 30.1% 19.4%
Meredith College February 2–8, 2025 759 RV ± 3.5% 56% 24% 20%
Carolina Journal/Cygnal (D) March 9–10, 2025 615 LV ± 3.94% 55.6% 20.4% 24.0%
Carolina Journal/Cygnal (D)[b] November 17–19, 2024 615 LV ± 3.94% 53.2% 24.9% 13.7%

Personal life

[edit]

Stein is married to Anna Harris Stein. They have three children. He and his family are members of Temple Beth Or, a Reform synagogue in Raleigh.[15] He is a former YMCA basketball and J.C.C. soccer coach.[14] On May 17, 2025, Stein's Chapel Hill High School 1983 state champion boys' soccer team was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame.[66]

Electoral history

[edit]
North Carolina Senate
2008 North Carolina Senate, 16th district election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Josh Stein 58,357 60.83%
Republican John Alexander 37,586 39.17%
Total votes 95,943 100.00%
2010 North Carolina Senate, 16th district election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Josh Stein (incumbent) 32,248 54.89%
Republican Michael Beezley 24,466 41.64%
Libertarian Stephanie Watson 2,040 3.47%
Total votes 58,754 100.00%
2012 North Carolina Senate, 16th district election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Josh Stein (incumbent) 69,405 100.00%
Total votes 69,405 100.00%
2014 North Carolina Senate, 16th district election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Josh Stein (incumbent) 42,422 67.11%
Republican Jason Mitchell 20,791 32.89%
Total votes 63,213 100.00%
Attorney general
2016 North Carolina Attorney General primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Josh Stein 510,003 53.37%
Democratic Marcus Williams 445,524 46.63%
Total votes 955,527 100.00%
2016 North Carolina Attorney General election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Josh Stein 2,276,410 50.27%
Republican Buck Newton 2,256,178 49.73%
Total votes 4,532,588 100.00%
2020 North Carolina Attorney General election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Josh Stein (incumbent) 2,713,400 50.13% −0.14%
Republican Jim O'Neill 2,699,778 49.87% +0.14%
Total votes 5,413,178 100.00% N/A
Governor
2024 North Carolina gubernatorial primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Josh Stein 476,448 69.64%
Democratic Michael R. Morgan 97,908 14.31%
Democratic Chrelle Booker 45,695 6.68%
Democratic Marcus Williams 38,996 5.70%
Democratic Gary Foxx 25,100 3.67%
Total votes 684,147 100.00%
2024 North Carolina gubernatorial election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Josh Stein 3,069,496 54.90% +3.38%
Republican Mark Robinson 2,241,309 40.08% –6.93%
Libertarian Mike Ross 176,392 3.14% +2.04%
Constitution Vinny Smith 54,607 0.98% N/A
Green Wayne Turner 49,384 0.88% N/A
Total votes 5,591,547 100.00%
Democratic hold

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "Josh Stein's Biography". Vote Smart.
  2. ↑ "NC Attorney General Josh Stein to run for governor". ABC11 Raleigh-Durham. January 18, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  3. ↑ "NC SBE Contest Results". er.ncsbe.gov. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  4. ↑ "NC SBE Contest Results". er.ncsbe.gov. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  5. ↑ Gans, Jared (November 5, 2024). "Stein defeats scandal-plagued Robinson in North Carolina gubernatorial race". The Hill. Archived from the original on October 13, 2025. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  6. ↑ Gannon, Patrick (November 29, 2013). "Josh Stein says he'll run for NC Attorney General in 2016". The News & Observer. Archived from the original on August 25, 2017.
  7. ↑ "Jewish Firsts in North Carolina Politics". November 25, 2020.
  8. ↑ "NC Attorney General Josh Stein wins reelection". newsobserver.com/. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  9. ↑ "Josh Stein (D-NC)". CQ Press. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  10. ↑ "The fight goes on for Adam Stein". The Daily Tar Heel. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  11. ↑ Rosen, Richard A.; Mosnier, Joseph (October 18, 2016). Julius Chambers: A Life in the Legal Struggle for Civil Rights. UNC Press Books. ISBN 978-1-4696-2855-4.
  12. 1 2 Anderson, Bryan (September 25, 2022). "How NC Attorney General Josh Stein is bracing for his next big political fight". WRAL. Capitol Broadcasting Company. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  13. ↑ Blythe, Anne (April 29, 2018). "Josh Stein, the product of a bluer North Carolina, is on the front lines fighting Trump". The News and Observer. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  14. 1 2 N.C. SENATE DISTRICT 16. The News and Observer. October 25, 2008.
  15. 1 2 "Meet Josh". Josh Stein for Attorney General. Archived from the original on December 27, 2016.
  16. 1 2 "Josh Stein". truth initiative: inspiring lives free from smoking, vaping & nicotine. February 19, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  17. 1 2 Schneider, Elena (January 18, 2023). "North Carolina AG Josh Stein launches bid for governor". Politico. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  18. ↑ Helms takes aim at court. The News and Observer. December 2, 2000.
  19. ↑ Young, Andrew (January 2010). The Politician. MacMillan Publishers. p. 72.
  20. ↑ Sen. Josh Stein - a different seat at the table. The News and Observer. January 28, 2009.
  21. ↑ Dalesio, Emery (November 5, 2008). Democrats likely to keep hold of state legislature. The Charlotte Observer.
  22. ↑ "NC Senate Democrats choose leaders". The News & Observer. December 18, 2014. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
  23. ↑ Bonner, Lynn (July 9, 2010). "State Senate supports taking DNA upon arrest". News and Observer. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  24. ↑ "Stein". North Carolina Foundation for Alcohol and Drug Studies - 2019 Winter School - Providing Excellence in Addiction Training since 1978. February 19, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  25. ↑ "Josh Stein". Democratic Attorneys General Association. February 19, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  26. ↑ DeWitt, Dave (January 29, 2019). "NC AG Stein Calls For More Funding To Test Backlogged Rape Kits". wunc.org. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  27. ↑ Donovan, Chelsea (January 30, 2019). "Attorney General announces Survivor Act; $6 million to combat rape test kit backlog". wect.com. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  28. ↑ DeGrave, Sam. "Attorney General announces $2M grant to begin clearing NC's 15,000 untested rape kits". Citizen Times. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  29. ↑ "4 Year Old Sexual Assault Cold Case Solved". spectrumlocalnews.com. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  30. ↑ "DNA Used to Charge Man in Series of Cold Case Rapes in Cumberland County". wfmynews2.com. May 7, 2019. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  31. ↑ "Rape Kit Test Leads to Arrest of 71-Year-Old Man in 1993 Assault". wfmynews2.com. September 18, 2019. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  32. ↑ WECT Staff (October 21, 2019). "N.C. among four states that reach $48B settlement framework with drug companies over opioid epidemic". wect.com. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  33. ↑ "About the Opioid Settlements - North Carolina Opioid Settlements". North Carolina Opioid Settlements. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  34. ↑ "MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ON PROCEEDS RELATING TO THE SETTLEMENT OF OPIOID LITIGATION" (PDF). More Powerful NC. February 27, 2024. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  35. ↑ Ahmed, Nazneen (June 28, 2023). "North Carolina Recognized for Efforts to Combat the Opioid Crisis and Save Lives". NCDOJ. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  36. ↑ Emert, Jennifer (December 18, 2018). "NC joins the legal fight over ACA; how the recent TX ruling could affect your benefits". WLOS. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  37. ↑ "North Carolina the first in the country to file lawsuits against e-cigarette companies". WRAL. October 23, 2019. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  38. ↑ Ahmed, Nazneen (June 28, 2021). "Attorney General Stein Reaches Agreement with JUUL for $40 Million and Drastic Business Changes". NCDOJ. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  39. ↑ Ahmed, Nazneen (December 7, 2023). "Attorney General Josh Stein Announces Additional $7.8 Million from Agreement with Juul". NCDOJ. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  40. ↑ Ahmed, Nazneen (February 6, 2024). "Attorney General Josh Stein Files Motion for Summary Judgment to Protect Medication Abortion in North Carolina". NCDOJ. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  41. ↑ Ahmed, Nazneen (September 23, 2022). "Attorney General Josh Stein Protects Women's Reproductive Freedom". NCDOJ. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  42. ↑ "'Every legal option.' NC Attorney General vows to fight new abortion law". ABC11 Raleigh-Durham. May 17, 2023. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  43. ↑ "Attorney General Josh Stein leads 51 attorneys general, 12 companies in fight to stop robocalls". WNCT. August 22, 2019. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  44. ↑ "AG wins preliminary injunction against Charlotte tow company sued for price-gouging". WSOC. May 27, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  45. ↑ "Attorney General Josh Stein's office goes after N.C. based Amazon price gougers". WNCT. March 29, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  46. ↑ Ahmed, Nazneen (November 10, 2021). "Attorney General Josh Stein Reaches $20,000 Settlement with Charlotte Area Gas Station Over Colonial Pipeline Price Gouging". NCDOJ. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  47. ↑ Woodhouse, Dallas (August 24, 2021). "Lawmakers fire AG Stein for refusing to appeal felon voting ruling". Carolina Journal. John Locke Foundation. Archived from the original on September 11, 2021.
  48. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 24, 2021. Retrieved December 15, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  49. ↑ "Josh Stein For North Carolina Announces Slate Of More Than 100 New Endorsers". Josh Stein for NC. January 18, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  50. ↑ "NCAE Endorses Attorney General Josh Stein for Governor in 2024". North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE). April 1, 2023. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  51. ↑ Edelman, Adam (March 5, 2024). "Republican Mark Robinson and Democrat Josh Stein will face off in North Carolina's governor race". NBC News. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
  52. ↑ Kaczynski, Andrew (September 19, 2024). "'I'm a black NAZI!': NC GOP nominee for governor made dozens of disturbing comments on porn forum". CNN. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  53. ↑ "Porn site user linked to Mark Robinson also praised Mein Kampf - The …". archive.ph. September 21, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  54. ↑ "Josh Stein defeats Mark Robinson in NC governor's race". CBS17.com. November 6, 2024. Archived from the original on February 7, 2025. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  55. ↑ "Josh Stein becomes Governor of North Carolina after taking oath of office on New Year's Day". WTVD. January 1, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
  56. ↑ Erdman, Jonathan (July 8, 2025). "Hurricane Helene Final Report: Most Shocking Things | Weather.com". The Weather Channel. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  57. ↑ Pomeranz, Andrew (July 7, 2026). "Stein signs $34B NC budget ahead of deadline". Carolina Journal. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  58. ↑ "Governor Stein Signs State Budget, Enacting Historic Pay Raises for Teachers and Law Enforcement | NC Governor". governor.nc.gov. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  59. ↑ Wagner, Adam (December 5, 2025). "2025 'a record-setting year' for new NC job announcements, says Gov. Josh Stein". WUNC News. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  60. ↑ "Governor Stein, NCDHHS Announce More Than $6.5 Billion in Medical Debt Erased in North Carolina | NC Governor". governor.nc.gov. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  61. ↑ Bacharier, Galen (May 30, 2025). "NC DMV wants to 'triage' long lines, ID backlog under new head". NC Newsline. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  62. ↑ Reporter, Keely Arthur, Consumer Investigative (June 12, 2026). "DMV wait times down 87% in North Carolina, Gov. Stein says". WRAL.com. Retrieved July 27, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  63. ↑ Tillett, Lena (June 3, 2025). "Stein launches cannabis task force, seeking to regulate THC and study pot legalization in NC". WRAL.com. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  64. ↑ Ahmadi, Ali Abbas (September 9, 2025). "Fatal stabbing of Ukrainian refugee in North Carolina ignites crime debate". BBC News. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
  65. ↑ Jacobs, Emily (July 29, 2025). "North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein objects to state anti-Israel resolutions, a month after passage". Jewish Insider.
  66. ↑ Koh, Michael (May 21, 2025). "Governor's Soccer Team Among Inductees into Chapel Hill High School Hall of Fame". Chapelboro.com. Retrieved May 30, 2025.
  1. ↑ Key:
    A – all adults
    RV – registered voters
    LV – likely voters
    V – unclear
  2. ↑ Poll taken prior to Stein's inauguration as Governor

Further reading

[edit]
[edit]
Party political offices
Preceded by Democratic nominee for Attorney General of North Carolina
2016, 2020		 Succeeded by
Democratic nominee for Governor of North Carolina
2024		 Most recent
Legal offices
Preceded by
Roy Cooper
 Attorney General of North Carolina
2017–2025		 Succeeded by
Jeff Jackson
Political offices
Preceded by Governor of North Carolina
2025–present		 Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byas Vice President Order of precedence of the United States
Within North Carolina		 Succeeded by
Mayor of city
in which event is held
Succeeded by
Otherwise Mike Johnson
as Speaker of the House
Preceded byas Governor of New York Order of precedence of the United States
Outside North Carolina		 Succeeded byas Governor of Rhode Island
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