No 2026 Governor Race — Stein Elected in 2024
Josh Stein (D) won the 2024 governor race, succeeding term-limited Roy Cooper. His 4-year term runs through January 2029. North Carolina governor races occur every 4 years.
| Current Governor | Josh Stein (D) |
| 2026 Race | No 2026 race |
| Next Election | 2028 |
| State Presidential Lean | R+3 |
North Carolina Governor: Recent Election History
| Year | Democrat | Republican | Margin | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Roy Cooper 49.0% | Pat McCrory (inc.) 48.8% | D+0.2 | Cooper flipped the governorship by just 10,000 votes; McCrory's HB2 "bathroom bill" cost him moderate support |
| 2020 | Roy Cooper (inc.) 51.5% | Dan Forest 47.0% | D+4.5 | Cooper re-elected easily; NC voted R in presidential race same day — split-ticket governor is the pattern here |
| 2024 | Josh Stein 59.5% | Mark Robinson 39.4% | D+20.1 | Robinson, the incumbent Lt. Gov, imploded after reports of explicit posts on pornography site; Stein won by historically large margin in a R+3 state |
| 2024 Presidential (same day) | Harris 47.7% | Trump 51.0% | R+3.3 | NC still voted R for president even as it elected D governor by 20 pts — extreme split-ticket pattern |
Context & Analysis
Josh Stein defeated Mark Robinson (R) in November 2024 by approximately 14 points. Robinson, the sitting Lt. Governor, imploded after reports surfaced about posts he had made on a pornography website. Stein entered as a former state attorney general. North Carolina allows governors to serve two consecutive terms; Stein can run for re-election in 2028. The state's presidential lean remains R+3 despite electing a Democratic governor — split-ticket voting driven by Robinson's disqualifying controversy. The 2028 governor race will be a genuine toss-up if Stein runs for re-election or if it becomes an open seat.
State context: North Carolina voted 48% Biden / 50% Trump in 2020. US Senators: Thom Tillis (R). Current Governor: Josh Stein (D).