In Op-Ed, U.S. Army Veteran Sarah Sattelberg Says “Josh Stein Has Consistently Shown Up” For Veterans While Mark Robinson Has Been “AWOL”

In a new op-ed published by Cardinal and Pine, veteran and military spouse Sarah Sattelberg discusses how her service and advocacy for military families has led to her support for Attorney General Josh Stein for Governor.

Sattelberg honorably served in the United States Army, as did her husband, an Iraq veteran. In her op-ed, Sattelberg says, “As a veteran and as a military spouse, I know the difference between leaders who pay lip service to standing with veterans, and leaders who use their positions of power to actually support us.” 

That’s why she’s supporting Attorney General Josh Stein for Governor: when it comes to supporting North Carolina’s servicemembers, he’s shown up. While the PACT Act languished in Congress, delaying benefits from veterans who had been exposed to toxic chemicals through their service, Josh fought for its passage. When the United States Supreme Court was deliberating on veterans’ educational and healthcare benefits, Josh advocated for service members.

Meanwhile, Stein’s opponent, Mark Robinson, has “been given chances to be a bipartisan leader, and he’s simply been AWOL. For someone in his position, that’s unacceptable.” Sattleberg points to recent reporting that Robinson has yet to attend a single meeting of North Carolina’s Military Affairs Commission, despite his frequent comments about the importance of supporting veterans.

She also shares how Robinson’s hateful rhetoric has impacted her personally. Although her brother-in-law served in the military for 22 years and was deployed twice, “Mark Robinson sees him as less than, simply because he is a proud, happily married gay man.” Sattleberg writes that Robinson’s words disrespect all “who wear the uniform, regardless of their sexual orientation.”

With a clear choice facing North Carolina in the 2024 governor’s race, Sattelberg is optimistic about the future of the state: “North Carolina is a great state for military families, and I believe it can be even better.” She believes Josh Stein is “the leader North Carolina needs, and he’s proven that he won’t just talk the talk—he’ll walk the walk.”

Read Sattelberg’s op-ed here.