North Carolina Council of State election, 2008

North Carolina elections to choose members of the Council of State (who head various executive branch departments) were held November 4, 2008. This coincided with the presidential, U.S. Senate, U.S. House, gubernatorial, and statewide judicial elections.

Primary elections were held on May 6, 2008 for races in which more than one candidate filed for a party's nomination.[1]

One of the results of the general election was that women held a majority (six of 10, including the Governor and Lt. Governor) of the seats on the Council of State for the first time.[2]

Secretary of State

Incumbent Secretary of State Elaine Marshall (Democratic) defeated attorney Jack Sawyer (Republican) on November 4, 2008.

2008 North Carolina Secretary of State election[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Democratic Elaine F. Marshall 2,291,980 56.80 –0.52
Republican Jack Sawyer 1,743,158 43.20 +0.52
Turnout 4,079,831 65.53

State Auditor

Incumbent Auditor Les Merritt (Republican) was defeated by Beth Wood, Former Director of Training for the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor on November 4, 2008.[4][5][3] Wood had previously defeated Fred Aikens, a retired state employee and retired colonel in the North Carolina Army National Guard, in the Democratic primary. [6] Wood won approximately 65% of the vote in the primary.

2008 North Carolina State Auditor election[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Democratic Beth A. Wood 2,175,242 53.57 +4.01
Republican Leslie Merritt 1,885,229 46.43 –4.01
Turnout 4,060,471 65.22

Attorney General

Incumbent Attorney General Roy A. Cooper (Democratic) defeated Bob Crumley (Republican), an attorney and owner of Crumley and Associates.[3]

2008 North Carolina Attorney General election[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Democratic Roy A. Cooper 2,538,178 61.10 +5.49
Republican Bob Crumley 1,615,762 38.90 –5.49
Turnout 4,153,940 66.72

State Treasurer

Incumbent Richard H. Moore (Democratic) announced on May 22, 2007 that he would seek the 2008 Democratic nomination for Governor.

Candidates to succeed him included three Democrats -- state Sen. Janet Cowell, [7] Michael Weisel, [8] and Buncombe County Commissioner David Young [9] -- and one Republican, state Rep. Bill Daughtridge.

Cowell won the Democratic primary with approximately 46 percent of the vote. Young came in second, with 36 percent.

On November 4, 2008, Janet Cowell defeated Bill Daughtridge.[3]

2008 North Carolina State Treasurer election[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Democratic Janet Cowell 2,179,665 53.62 –0.89
Republican Bill Daughtridge 1,885,724 46.38 +0.89
Turnout 4,065,389 65.29

Superintendent of Public Instruction

Incumbent Superintendent June Atkinson (Democratic) won renomination by defeating North Carolina Association of Educators president Eddie Davis in the Democratic primary (with about 53 percent of the vote). [10] Republicans Joe Johnson [11] and Eric H. Smith [12] lost to former state House co-Speaker Richard T. Morgan in the Republican primary.

On November 4, 2008, Atkinson defeated Richard Morgan.[3]

2008 North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction election[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Democratic June Atkinson 2,177,934 53.66 +3.53
Republican Richard T. Morgan 1,881,075 46.34 –3.53
Turnout 4,059,009 65.19

Commissioner of Agriculture

Incumbent Commissioner Steve Troxler (Republican) defeated attorney Ronnie Ansley (Democratic). [13][3]

2008 North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture election[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Republican Steve Troxler 2,130,146 52.05 +2.01
Democratic Ronnie Ansley 1,962,741 47.95 –2.01
Turnout 4,092,887 65.74

Commissioner of Labor

Four Democrats -- Robin Anderson, chair of the State Personnel Commission, [14] Ty Richardson, Mary Fant Donnan, a former N.C. Department of Labor official, [15] and former Labor Commissioner John C. Brooks -- filed to run against incumbent Commissioner Cherie Berry (Republican).

Mary Fant Donnan finished first, with almost 28 percent of the vote, in the May 6 primary. Brooks was the runner-up. Brooks called for a June 24 runoff, which was his right, because no candidate won more than 40 percent of the vote in the first primary.[16] [17] Donnan defeated Brooks in the runoff, with approximately 68 percent of the vote, becoming the Democratic nominee.[18] [19]

On November 4, 2008, Cherie Berry defeated Mary Fant Donnan.[3]

2008 North Carolina Commissioner of Labor election[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Republican Cherie Berry 2,065,095 50.61 –1.49
Democratic Mary Fant Donnan 2,015,442 49.39 +1.49
Turnout 4,080,537 65.54

Commissioner of Insurance

Incumbent Commissioner James E. Long (Democratic) surprised observers by not seeking another term.[20] His chosen successor, assistant Commissioner and former state Rep. Wayne Goodwin, defeated David C. Smith in the Democratic primary by winning about 56 percent of the vote. John Odom, a former Raleigh city councilman, was the only Republican candidate. Mark McMains was the candidate of the Libertarian Party.[21]

On November 4, 2008, Goodwin defeated Mark McMains and John Odom.[3]

2008 North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance election[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Democratic Wayne Goodwin 2,106,870 51.57 –6.07
Republican John Odom 1,822,452 44.61 +2.25
Libertarian Mark McMains 153,517 3.76 N/A
Other Write-ins 2,358 0.06 N/A
Turnout 4,085,197 65.61

See also

References

  1. ↑ Primary Election Voter Guide
  2. ↑ WRAL: Women now the majority on NC Council of State
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 "NC - Election Results". North Carolina Board of Elections. Retrieved 11 November 2009.
  4. ↑ "Auditor's race" : Capital Beat : Blogs : News-Record.com : Greensboro, North Carolina
  5. ↑ Beth Wood | newsobserver.com projects
  6. ↑ Aikens to run for auditor | newsobserver.com projects
  7. ↑ Cowell for treasurer | newsobserver.com projects
  8. ↑ Another shot for Weisel? | newsobserver.com projects
  9. ↑ Young for treasurer | newsobserver.com projects
  10. ↑ Davis considering run | newsobserver.com projects
  11. ↑ Joe Johnson | newsobserver.com projects
  12. ↑ Smith for State Superintendent
  13. ↑ Ansley to run for Ag commissioner | newsobserver.com projects
  14. ↑ Anderson to run for Labor commissioner | newsobserver.com projects
  15. ↑ Mary Fant Donnan profile page
  16. ↑ News & Observer: Labor candidates want a recount
  17. ↑ News & Observer: No recount in Labor race
  18. ↑ Romoser, James. Runoff for labor post goes to Donnan. Winston-Salem Journal, 2008-06-25. Accessed 2008-06-25
  19. ↑ Beckwith, Ryan Teague. News & Observer: Donnan wins runoff that few bothered to vote in. Accessed 2008-06-25
  20. ↑ FayObserver.com - AP Article Page
  21. ↑ Libertarian Party of NC press release: Libertarians File List of 2008 Candidates
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