Last month, Democratic North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein travelled the state, rallying support in one of the most closely watched gubernatorial races in the country. Stein is running against Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson. 

On Sept. 3, Stein hosted a fundraising event at Metro 8 Steakhouse in Durham, N.C., drawing over 170 attendees. Stephen Valentine, a county commissioner-elect and an event co-host, said turnout was three times higher than expected.  

The event featured an introduction by Abdul Sm Rasheed, the CEO of Franklin Vance Warren Opportunity Inc., who has a longstanding relationship with Stein dating back to their time together at Self-Help Credit Union after Stein graduated from Harvard Law School in 1995. 

Both Rasheed and Stein spoke to attendees about the significance of voter turnout in Durham, emphasizing its potential impact on statewide results. Durham is not only one of the most populous counties in North Carolina, but it also has the highest percentage of Democratic voters in the state.  

Durham County Sheriff Clarence Birkhead summed up the county’s role in the coming election with one simple sentence: “If Durham turns out, it’s a wrap.” 

In the 2020 attorney general election, Stein won 80.82% of the vote in Durham county, and in 2016, he won 79.65%. On the state-wide level, Stein’s last two elections were close, as he won by a mere 0.24 percentage points in 2020 and 0.45 points in 2016.  

“I hope people in Durham appreciate that their vote can make the difference in what kind of state and also what kind of nation we will have,” Stein said in an exclusive interview with the Durham VOICE after the event. “If they turn out and vote like I know they can, they can make that small difference.”  

 Notably, Robinson has kept his campaigning to a minimum and has not yet made an appearance in Durham.  

Improving education funding is one of Stein’s top priorities, according to his campaign site. North Carolina ranks 49th out of 50 states in funding effort, a measure of the percentage of a state’s GDP allocated toward public education, and 38th in average teacher pay.  

“We have got to pay our teachers more to recruit and retain the best support, school counselors, school nurses, [and] social workers to help kids who are struggling,” Stein said. “Then the teachers can focus on teaching and other folks can further support kids. If we do those things, education outcomes will be much better.”  

Patrick Hannah, an attorney based in Durham and the parent of a teen with special needs, said he is excited by Stein’s focus on education investment.  

 “[Stein] is thinking about what the next generation needs in order to thrive in this state, and I think that excites me as a father with two kids,” Hannah said. “It’s not about me, it’s about my kids’ future.”  

Robinson also supports raising teacher pay, but there is no other mention of increasing public school funding in his campaign website. Instead, Robinson has repeatedly backed the expansion of private school vouchers, a program that diverts state funding from public schools.  

Recent polls have shown that Stein is ahead in the race, with his lead over Robinson ranging from four to 14 percentage points. However, Stein said he knows the election may be close, as is often the case in North Carolina.  

At this point, it is still unclear how the recent CNN report — which revealed inflammatory posts made by a user identified as Robinson on porn website over a decade ago — has affected polling numbers.  

Early voting in North Carolina starts on Thursday, Oct. 17, and the general election is on Tuesday, Nov. 5. For more information on polling locations or voter ID requirements, visit the Durham County Board of Elections website. 

Edited by Sophie Watson