Ex-NC justice enters Democratic race for governor
RALEIGH, N.C. — A second prominent Democrat entered the 2024 primary for North Carolina governor.
Michael Morgan, a former state Supreme Court justice who stepped down early from the high court last week, announced his campaign Tuesday. He is challenging Attorney General Josh Stein to become Gov. Roy Cooper’s successor after the Democratic governor reaches the end of his term limit next year.
Cooper, who hired Stein to lead his consumer protection division when he was attorney general, formally endorsed him.
But Morgan was not deterred. The Democrat from New Bern, who now resides in Raleigh, contends he is the most qualified to lead the state after serving for more than 30 years in four different judgeships.
“My vision is to provide all North Carolinians with fair opportunities in which they may thrive and succeed,” Morgan said Tuesday. “I am running on a platform that calls for a change to the system that allows the working people, children and families of North Carolina to be ignored and taken for granted.”
North Carolina’s gubernatorial race is expected to be among the nation’s most competitive and expensive. While Republicans have controlled the General Assembly since 2011 and currently hold a supermajority, they have only controlled the governor’s office for four of the past 30 years.
Primaries will be held in March. Republicans have a full slate of gubernatorial candidates, including Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, State Treasurer Dale Folwell, former U.S. Rep. Mark Walker, former state legislator Andy Wells and retired health care executive Jesse Thomas.
Morgan faces an uphill battle to compete with Stein, who raised $6 million in the first half of the year and landed early endorsements from many of the state’s top Democrats.
“Thousands of North Carolinians have already embraced his vision for a safer, stronger North Carolina, and we’re building a campaign to win,” Stein campaign spokesperson Kate Frauenfelder said Tuesday.
Morgan criticized elected officials from both major parties for “trying to select the people’s leaders and determining our destinies.” He pledged to challenge the status quo that he said allows a select few to assert power over all state residents.