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 race for North Carolina State Auditor is a more interesting contest than you might expect.
With long-time state auditor Beth Wood resigning after misusing state vehicles and crashing one of them, her appointed replacement is vying for a full term in a race full of issues ranging from the DMV to DEI.
Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) has been one of the hot topics in the race. Wood, a Democrat, is breaking with her party and endorsing Boliek, saying that Holmes was appointed because of her race and gender – she’s the first Black woman to serve on the Council of State. Holmes responds that she’s the most qualified thanks to previous roles in state and local government, and “as a woman of color, the reality is I usually have to be twice as good as the people I'm sitting across the table from.”
She’s criticized Boliek’s efforts to end DEI programs at UNC-Chapel Hill, which he says were a waste of money that led to “administrative bloat.”
What does the North Carolina State Auditor do?
It’s the leader of the office that audits state agencies from the governor’s administration down to small town halls, ferreting out waste and misspent tax dollars.
Boliek says the auditor should do more “economy and efficiency” audits of state government programs – rather than just look for financial improprieties – and he’s pledging to audit long waits at the DMV “on day one.” He also says he’d create a “rapid response team” to get involved in the accounting and salary issues that led classified staff at Durham Public Schools to call in sick on multiple school days last year.
But Holmes says it’s “inappropriate” for the auditor to come in with plans for “targeting particular agencies.” She says the auditor shouldn’t have “a personal agenda at all or even political bias.”
Who is Dave Boliek?
Boliek is an attorney and former prosecutor who serves on the UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees, where he helped create an audit committee. He advanced out of the GOP primary after a runoff election against Jack Clark, a certified public accountant.
Former President Donald Trump endorsed Boliek during an August rally in Asheville.
Who is Jessica Holmes?
Holmes has served as state auditor since she was appointed by Gov. Roy Cooper in December 2023. Before that, she served on the North Carolina Industrial Commission and was the youngest person ever to chair the Wake County Board of Commissioners.
What are Boliek and Holmes saying about the election?
Boliek: “I'm certainly open to change my mind and to get suggestions from people across the state of North Carolina, but really it takes courage, and it takes experience, and I think I have that experience.”
Holmes: “I take the approach of one of my heroes, Shirley Chisholm, of being ‘unbought and unbossed,’ and I'm here to do the work and not necessarily to be liked.”
For more on Dave Boliek, Jessica Holmes and the North Carolina State Auditor race in 2024, read and subscribe to the WUNC Politics Newsletter and listen to full conversations with them on the WUNC Politics Podcast.
WUNC Digital Producer Mitchell Northam contributed to this report.
