Opinion: As a Republican, I trust Josh Stein to be our next governor

When I was 19 years old and founding Peace College’s chapter of College Republicans, I would not have believed you if you’d told me I’d be endorsing the Democratic candidate for governor. But when I look at the state that I love and that I served for over two decades, I know that Josh Stein is the only right choice. 

I spent a good portion of my career working for and fighting for Republicans who I believed would serve our state with dignity and respect for their office. I am proud to have worked for Richard Burr and Robin Hayes, conservatives who put our state on a path to prosperity, opportunity, and respect for the rule of law. I helped the Republican National Committee win the “red wave” of 2014, and I looked up to leaders like Elizabeth Dole, John Boehner, and John McCain, who I saw as true statesmen. 

I am proud of the decades I spent advancing a Republican vision for our future. But I never felt more alienated from North Carolina’s Republican party than when it nominated Mark Robinson to be North Carolina’s next governor. We are at a pivotal moment in North Carolina, and leadership matters more than partisanship. The governor’s office is not a political prize — it’s a serious job requiring integrity, respect, and the ability to work with people of differing opinions.

Mark Robinson has shown us, time and time again, that he lacks the decency required for our governorship. He has a troubling record of attacking people personally for who they are. Disagreement is a natural and healthy part of public service, but how you handle those disputes defines your leadership. I’ve never heard Josh Stein disrespect a single person in the way Robinson so often does, and I know I am not the only conservative woman who takes offense to Robinson’s rhetoric about women.

Mark Robinson’s lack of respect extends beyond inflammatory rhetoric; it’s not clear that he’s ready for the work of governing. Neither Robinson and his wife’s daycare nor their nonprofit prove that he is ready for the challenge of managing the state, and his low attendance rate for his current responsibilities as lieutenant governor beg the question of whether he’ll show up as governor. Beyond that, Robinson’s extremism on social issues would make him toxic for North Carolina’s business climate. Our economic success is dependent on continuing to attract businesses, and Fortune 500 CEOs don’t want to work with leaders of any party who thrive on controversy. 

We deserve a governor with a proven ability to navigate challenges for North Carolina families. Josh Stein has demonstrated that he can get things done and that he knows how to build bipartisan solutions. I believe that he respects women. His leadership on eliminating the rape kit backlog is a perfect example of how he works across the aisle to solve real problems. As soon as he realized there was a problem, he made eliminating the backlog a priority, and he worked with legislators, law enforcement, and scientists of all parties to come up with a solution. The outcome is helping victims finally achieve justice — irrespective of party. That’s the kind of leadership we need.

While Josh Stein and I have some real disagreements, I am confident that he will listen to perspectives like mine with respect and not denigrate my character. Leadership is about showing up, treating people with dignity, and delivering. That is what Josh Stein has done as attorney general; it is what he will continue to do in the governor’s office. 

The future of our state depends on the quality of our leadership, and this year, Josh Stein is the right person for the job.