Gov. Josh Stein is wrapping up his first year in office. It’s been a year marked by hurricane recovery efforts in Western North Carolina, big jobs announcements and fights with the legislature over taxes, Medicaid and more.
Stein joined WUNC's Colin Campbell to discuss the big issues of 2025 and what’s ahead next year. Here are some highlights from the governor's year-end interview, which will air on WUNC's Morning Edition on Thursday and will be available later on the WUNC Politics Podcast.
This conversation has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.
What do you see as the biggest accomplishments for the first year of your administration?
"One thing I am proud of is North Carolina is the top state for business. In 2025, we had the best year of job announcements in the history of the state: 34,000 jobs, $23 billion of investment, and these jobs are in every corner of the state.
"A second focus about which I'm proud, is the response that we've done on Hurricane Helene relief for western North Carolina. It requires an all-of-government approach and focus and urgency to simply match the grit of the people of western North Carolina. I've been out there dozens of times this year, and every time I go, I'm just inspired again by what folks have achieved for themselves, but with $60 billion of damages, we cannot just let this be on their shoulders."
Is there anything more that can be done for Helene recovery at the state level, or is it really going to require the purse strings of the federal government to get the job done?
"I am certain that we will have another appropriation request for the legislature in the coming year — in the short session, or even before. But when you look at the scale of the problem, we could get another $1 to $2 billion from the state, but the request that I have before Washington is $13.5 billion. We will never be able to meet the needs of western North Carolina through the state or through local governments. This is why the federal government exists: to help us out when we need it."
This year marked the longest North Carolina has gone without passing a new two-year budget bill. You mentioned the big successes on the jobs front this year, but does there come a point where this budget impasse impacts the state's broader economy and our ability to compete for business and new jobs?
"There's no question that we need a budget that invests in our people. We have among the lowest-paid teachers in the entire country. That is not a recipe for long-term success. We need to pay our state law enforcement more. We need to fully fund Medicaid.
"... It's also urgent that we pass a fiscally responsible budget if we want to have long-term economic success. We're going to have $2.3 billion less two years from now than we have today (due to scheduled income tax cuts). It would be absolutely counterproductive and really undermine the long term economic prospects of the state."
Looking ahead to next year's elections, you've endorsed Rep. Rodney Pierce in his Democratic primary against former Rep. Michael Wray. Do you plan to be active in other March primaries that could impact the fate of your vetoes as we go into the next session?
"We're not done with filing yet, and so once we do that, I'll take stock of all the different elections that are out there. Rodney Pierce is just a strong leader and an effective voice for his district and for rural communities across the state, and I'm excited to support him and his vision for a safer and stronger North Carolina."
