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.
Elaine Marshall has been the Secretary of State for North Carolina since 1997, serving under five different governors. If she's reelected to an eighth term, then Marshall, 78, will work with a sixth governor.
Challenging the longtime incumbent Democrat for a seat of the Council of State is Chad Brown, a Republican, a former small-town mayor, and chairman of the Gaston County Board of Commissioners.
What does the Secretary of State do?
Compared to some other positions on the Council of State, the Secretary of State doesn't have as much power.
In North Carolina, the office isn't in charge of elections and doesn’t certify them like it does in many other states, like Georgia. Instead, it oversees paperwork for electors and arranges meetings for the Electoral College. The office also oversees many important records and documents in the state, working mostly in an administrative capacity. The office plays a key role in adoptions, helping people start and register businesses, maintaining records and journals for the General Assembly, registering trademarks and lobbyists, managing land records, and regulating charitable solicitations.
Who is Chad Brown?
Brown, 52, has served on the Gaston County Board of Commissioners since 2010 and he is also a territory manager for the Pennsylvania Steel Co. The native of Gastonia was also a professional baseball player for seven years after playing at North Greenville University, reaching the ranks of Triple-A as a left-handed pitcher in the farm system of the Toronto Blue Jays.
In the primary, Brown defeated two opponents – Christine Villaverde and retired healthcare executive Jesse Thomas – with 43.3% of the vote. Brown has said he wants to create more jobs for North Carolina and "cut red tape" for entrepreneurs and small business owners.
Who is Elaine Marshall?
Before getting a law degree from Campbell University, Marshall was a teacher in Lenoir County. She was first elected to public office in 1992, serving in the state Senate. In 1996, Marshall ran for Secretary of State and has now held the office for nearly three decades. She twice unsuccessfully ran for U.S. Senate, losing in the primary in 2002 and to Richard Burr in the general in 2010.
In interviews, Marshall has cautioned that if a Republican like Brown is elected to the office of Secretary of State, that the Republican super-majority controlled General Assembly will give the office the power to rule over elections. She has also said that her top priority is cybersecurity.
In 2020, Marshall defeated Republican challenger E.C. Sykes by about 125,000 votes – less than 3%.
Marshall is the first woman in the history of North Carolina to be elected to a statewide executive office.
For more on Chad Brown, Elaine Marshall and the North Carolina Secretary of State race in 2024, read and subscribe to the WUNC Politics Newsletter and listen to full conversations with them on the WUNC Politics Podcast.
