MEMO: On Day One of the general election, battle-tested Josh Stein is the clear choice for Governor of North Carolina.
To: Interested Parties
From: Jeff Allen, campaign manager for Josh Stein for North Carolina
Date: March 6, 2024
Re: On Day One of the general election, battle-tested Josh Stein is the clear choice.
On Day One of the general election, battle-tested Josh Stein is the clear choice for Governor of North Carolina.
On Day One of the general election, the choice in the race for North Carolina’ next Governor could not be clearer: Josh Stein will work to bring people together for a safer, stronger North Carolina, while Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson pushes extreme views that kill jobs and hurt North Carolina families.
Over the last year, Josh Stein for North Carolina has shattered fundraising records, united the Democratic Party, and held Robinson accountable. Heading into the general election, we will continue to build on a strong foundation and elect Josh Stein the 76th Governor of North Carolina.
Josh Stein has a strong record of bipartisan accomplishments and a positive vision for a safer, stronger North Carolina.
Throughout his time as Attorney General, Josh has been fighting and delivering for North Carolinians. He has worked with the Republican legislature to fight the opioid epidemic, tackle the rape kit backlog, protect kids from sexual assault, and improve the criminal justice system.
His top-cop experience and record of standing up for North Carolinians has earned him real trust with voters. He is the only Democratic Attorney General in the country to serve a state which Trump won twice, and in the race for Governor, voters won’t buy the onslaught of canned, cookie cutter GOP attacks. Josh will stay focused on building on his record of pursuing a safer, stronger North Carolina with his vision for better public schools, a thriving economy, and safe communities for every North Carolinian.
Mark Robinson is a divisive, uniquely fringe, and vulnerable candidate that would drag North Carolina backward.
Coming out of a bruising primary in which his Republican opponents exposed his anti-Semitic and anti-women views and questioned his electability, Mark Robinson enters the general with serious baggage and a steep hill to climb with swing voters who will decide this election.
Robinson has shown us how he would govern. His plan to ban abortion with no exceptions and defund public schools and his well-documented record of spreading hate and conspiracy theories will weigh him down, particularly with a North Carolina electorate that has historically prioritized balanced government and steady leadership in their Governor’s office. North Carolinians have elected a Democrat as Governor in seven of the last eight elections, even though they voted for a Democrat as President once during that period.
Robinson uses his current position to divide North Carolinians, endanger our economic growth, conduct witch hunts against educators, encourage parents take their kids out of public schools, oppose bi-partisan Medicaid expansion, and fight against abortion rights. When North Carolinians ask themselves whether Mark Robinson is really who they want as governor, we are confident that the answer will be a resounding “No.”
We’re building a campaign to win.
North Carolina is known for its razor thin margins, and we expect nothing different in this race. Josh has a record of winning hard-fought races in North Carolina, even in tough political environments, and we are building a campaign infrastructure to win. Josh has never lost an election and knows how to build a broad coalition, which is why he has already earned support from law enforcement, students, farmers, elected leaders, and every major Black political action committee in the state.
At the top of the year, Josh Stein for North Carolina reported over $11 million cash-on-hand and has since raised more than $2 million to continue sharing his message with voters. Going into the general election, we have a nearly three-to-one cash on hand advantage over the Robinson campaign, which has spent over 50% of the money it has brought in. Polling shows a neck-and-neck race, and our campaign’s fundraising advantage puts us in a historically strong position to show voters the clear choice in this election. National investments from the President’s reelection campaign will also help our campaign turn out a Democratic base we believe is excited to support Josh in his race for Governor.
North Carolina is a critical swing state this election cycle, and our race will be among the most competitive and consequential in the country. Our campaign is well equipped with the resources needed to show that Josh Stein will build a safer, stronger North Carolina, while Mark Robinson is a job-killing culture warrior.
