Robinson and Stein win; Jackson defeats Deberry; Green to face Morrow

In unofficial results from Tuesday’s March 5th primaries, there were few surprises as the Democratic and Republican winners for N.C. governor, lt. governor, state attorney general, state superintendent and Council of State offices will face-off in the November 5th General Election.

In the marquee race of the evening, Democrat State Attorney General Josh Stein and Republican Lt. Governor Mark Robinson triumphed in their respective N.C. gubernatorial primaries unofficially to win the right to face-off in what is expected to be one of the most expensive and closely watched governor’s races in the nation.

In early returns, Stein, with 62 percent of the statewide Democratic primary vote counted, dominated the five-candidate field, clinching with 70 percent of the vote.

Retired N.C. Associate Justice Mike Morgan came in second with just 14 percent of the vote. The three remaining candidates in the Democratic primary totaled 14 percent.

In the Republican primary with 62 percent counted, Robinson manhandled his opposition, clinching with 65 percent, defeating state Treasurer Dale Folwell’s 19 percent, and Salisbury Attorney Bill Graham, who despite spending at least $3 million of his own money on television advertising, only notched 16 percent.

Also with 52 percent of the statewide Republican vote counted at press time, former Pres. Donald Trump led former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, 75 percent to 22 percent.

In the Democratic presidential primary, incumbent pres. Joe Biden dominated the voting with 89 percent, against a vote of “no preference”, which only logged in 11 percent.

With 38 percent of the statewide Democratic lt. governor primary vote reporting, Rachel hunt, daughter of former Gov. James B. Hunt, won her three-way race with 70 percent. Former State Senator Ben Clark came in second with 18 percent, and Mark H. Robinson came in third with just 12 percent.

In the Democratic primary for state attorney general, former Congressman Jeff Jackson defeated Durham District Attorney Satana Deberry, 55 percent to 33 percent, with 44 percent of the statewide vote counted.

With 56 percent of the vote reported, educator-attorney Maurice “Mo” Green, the former superintendent of the Guilford County Schools, led a three-way Democratic primary race with 66 percent of the vote for state supt. of public instruction. Green will face off against conservative Michele Morrow, who defeated incumbent Catherine Truitt in the Republican primary, 52 percent to 48 percent.

At press time, in several Republican primary races for Congress and state auditor, no candidate had reached the required 30 percent plus one threshold to win outright.