One of the challenges of being a swing state is that presidential campaigns tend to suck up a lot of attention in North Carolina – to the detriment of other important statewide races on the ballot that don’t get as much coverage. In an ongoing series, we’ll break down the statewide races here, on the WUNC Politics Podcast, and in the WUNC Politics Newsletter.
The office of lieutenant governor in North Carolina doesn't come with much power, but it's often a stepping stone for leaders who eventually run for governor. This year's election for the job features a state senator whose father held the position 50 years ago, and a veteran political staffer who worked inside the office.
Here's a closer look at the office and the candidates.
What does the North Carolina Lieutenant Governor do?
Elected separately from the governor, the lt. governor is ready to step in if the governor dies or resigns. But most of the time this person presides over state Senate sessions and breaks any (rare) tie votes. The job comes with a seat on the State Board of Education, State Board of Community Colleges and the Energy Policy Council. It's typically a stepping stone to running for governor.
Who is Hal Weatherman?
The Republican candidate is a longtime top aide to GOP leaders, leading campaigns and office operations for former Lt. Gov. Dan Forest. More recently, he's led a group called the Electoral Education Foundation that works on election integrity issues, identifying potential issues in the state's voter data that could lead to post-election challenges in close races.
Who is Rachel Hunt?
The Democratic candidate is an attorney and state senator who has represented Mecklenburg County in the legislature since 2019. She's following in the footsteps of her father, former four-term Gov. Jim Hunt, who also served a term as lieutenant governor.
Libertarian Shannon Bray and Constitution Party candidate Wayne Jones are also on the ballot.
The big issues
Not surprisingly, the issues in this race are very similar to what we're hearing in the governor's race, with abortion and education at the top of the list. Outside of those, Weatherman wants to set up an "election integrity unit" in the lieutenant governor's office, while Hunt says the office shouldn't be "injecting itself into the State Board of Elections." Hunt wants to see the State Board of Education have a larger role in governing schools rather than having the legislature in control.
Key differences between candidates
Weatherman supports expanding abortion restrictions with a "heartbeat bill" that would ban more abortions after six weeks, although he does support exceptions for rape and incest and backs access to in vitro fertilization. Hunt opposes abortion restrictions and wants legislation to codify Roe v. Wade into state law.
Hunt is calling for additional education funding from the legislature. Weatherman says he'd like to see the federal government provide funding to the states rather than providing grants through the U.S. Department of Education. He also wants cursive writing taught in schools.
What are they saying about the election?
Weatherman thinks the state should provide more services to help expectant mothers so they're less likely to choose abortion. "I think most people in our culture today would accept as a reasonable standard that we as a society should define life, at a minimum, as when the heart starts beating. I want us to create a culture that values life in our state and around the country, including the wraparound services."
As for Hunt, she says "we know the majority of North Carolinians, men and women, want there to be freedom for reproductive health care in the state, and people have to be able to have access to things like IVF to get help to have children if they want to, but we have got to treat women like first-class citizens, not second class."
