# 2016 North Carolina Council of State election

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vte :
The North Carolina Council of State elections of 2016 were held on November 8, 2016, to select the ten officers of the North Carolina Council of State. This elections coincided with the presidential election, elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the Senate and state elections to the General Assembly and judiciary. Primary elections were held March 15.
The ten members of the North Carolina Council of State are statewide-elected officers serving four-year terms. The pre-election partisan makeup of the Council of State consisted of 6 Democrats and 4 Republicans. After the election, the partisan makeup was reversed, with 6 Republicans and 4 Democrats winning. Three incumbents were defeated: Governor Pat McCrory (R), Superintendent of Public Education June Atkinson (D), and Commissioner of Insurance Wayne Goodwin (D).
Additionally, Republicans flipped the Treasurer in an open race from the Democrats, while Democrats held the open Attorney General race.

## Governor

Republican Pat McCrory, the incumbent, faced Democratic nominee Roy Cooper, the incumbent North Carolina attorney general, and Libertarian nominee Lon Cecil in the general election. Cooper won with 49% of the vote.

## Lieutenant governor

Republican Dan Forest, the incumbent, faced Democratic nominee Linda Coleman, a former director of the Office of State Personnel, former state representative and nominee for lieutenant governor in 2012, and Libertarian nominee Jacki Cole in the general election. Forest won with more than 51% of the vote.

## Attorney general

Democrat Roy Cooper, the incumbent, ran for governor.
Josh Stein, state senator and former deputy attorney general of North Carolina, was the Democratic nominee for the post, and Buck Newton, another state senator, was the Republican nominee. Stein won with just over 50% of the vote.

## Secretary of State

Democrat Elaine Marshall, the incumbent, ran for a sixth term.

### Democratic primary
#### Candidates

* Elaine Marshall, Incumbent (unopposed in the primary)

### Republican primary
#### Candidates

* A.J. Daoud, member of state lottery commission, 2012 candidate
* Michael LaPaglia, businessman

#### Results

Republican primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Michael LaPaglia | 499,919 | 61.6 |
| | Republican | A.J. Daoud | 312,067 | 38.4 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 811,986 | 100.0 |

### General election
#### Results

North Carolina Secretary of State election, 2016 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | Elaine Marshall (incumbent) | 2,368,091 | 52.26% | −1.53% |
| | Republican | Michael LaPaglia | 2,163,185 | 47.74% | +1.53% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 4,531,276 | 100.0% | N/A |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

## State Auditor

Democrat Beth Wood, the incumbent, ran for reelection to a third term.

### Democratic primary
#### Candidates

* Beth Wood, incumbent (unopposed in the primary)

### Republican primary
#### Candidates

* Chuck Stuber, former FBI special agent (unopposed in the primary)

### General election
#### Results

North Carolina State Auditor election, 2016 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | Beth A. Wood (incumbent) | 2,259,436 | 50.07% | −3.64% |
| | Republican | Chuck Stuber | 2,253,394 | 49.93% | +3.64% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 4,512,830 | 100.0% | N/A |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
Stuber called for a recount even before the election results were officially certified, and it seemed likely that the margin of difference between the candidates would remain well under the 10,000-vote threshold that a recount requires. But as the recount neared completion and the outcome remained the same, Stuber conceded the election on Dec. 9.

## State Treasurer

Janet Cowell, a Democrat and the incumbent Treasurer, announced she would not run for reelection.

### Democratic primary
#### Candidates

* Dan Blue III, attorney, former investment banker, former Wake County Democratic Party chair
* Ron Elmer, CPA and money manager

#### Results

Democratic primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Dan Blue III | 553,459 | 58.4 |
| | Democratic | Ron Elmer | 393,834 | 41.6 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 947,293 | 100.0 |

### Republican primary
#### Candidates

* Dale Folwell, CPA and former state representative (unopposed in the primary)

### General election
#### Results

North Carolina State Treasurer election, 2016 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Dale R. Folwell | 2,373,022 | 52.70% | +6.53% |
| | Democratic | Dan Blue III | 2,129,762 | 47.30% | −6.53% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 4,502,784 | 100.0% | N/A |
| | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic |
Folwell became the first North Carolina State Treasurer elected from a party other than the Democratic Party since William H. Worth, a Populist, was elected in 1896.

## Superintendent of Public Instruction

Democrat June Atkinson, the incumbent, ran for a fourth term in 2016. When it was believed that Atkinson was not going to run for re-election, State Rep. Tricia Cotham was considered a potential Democratic candidate.

### Democratic primary
#### Candidates

* June Atkinson, incumbent
* Henry Pankey, retired school principal

#### Results

Democratic primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | June Atkinson (incumbent) | 776,302 | 79.8 |
| | Democratic | Henry Pankey | 196,703 | 20.2 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 973,005 | 100.0 |

### Republican primary
#### Candidates

* Mark Johnson, Forsyth County School Board member
* Dr. Rosemary Stein, Physician, former Alamance Community College Trustee & GOP Activist
* J. Wesley Sills, teacher

#### Results

Republican primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Mark Johnson | 441,865 | 53.3 |
| | Republican | Rosemary Stein | 272,131 | 32.9 |
| | Republican | J. Wesley Sills | 114,274 | 13.8 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 828,270 | 100.0 |

### General election
#### Results

North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction election, 2016 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Mark Johnson | 2,285,783 | 50.60% | +4.84% |
| | Democratic | June Atkinson (incumbent) | 2,231,903 | 49.40% | −4.84% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 4,517,686 | 100.0% | N/A |
| | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic |
Johnson became the first Republican (or member of any party other than the Democratic Party) elected Superintendent since 1896, when Charles H. Mebane was elected.

## Commissioner of Agriculture

Republican Steve Troxler, the incumbent, ran for a fourth term.

### Democratic primary
#### Candidates

* Walter Smith, former mayor of Boonville, former USDA official and nominee in 2012 (unopposed in the primary)

### Republican primary
#### Candidates

* Andy Stevens
* Steve Troxler, incumbent

#### Results

Republican primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Steve Troxler (incumbent) | 634,100 | 68.8 |
| | Republican | Andy Stevens | 287,948 | 31.2 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 922,048 | 100.0 |

### General election
#### Results

North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture election, 2016 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Steve Troxler | 2,524,445 | 55.56% | +2.34% |
| | Democratic | Walter Smith | 2,018,872 | 44.44% | −2.34% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 4,543,317 | 100.0% | N/A |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |
Steve Troxler received more votes than any other candidate in North Carolina in 2016. As of 2021, this is the last statewide election in which the Republican candidate won Wake County and Chatham County.

## Commissioner of Labor

Republican Cherie Berry, the incumbent, ran for reelection to a fifth term.

### Democratic primary
#### Candidates

* Mazie Ferguson
* Charles Meeker, attorney and former mayor of Raleigh

#### Results

Democratic primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Charles Meeker | 531,273 | 56.5 |
| | Democratic | Mazie Ferguson | 408,243 | 43.5 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 939,516 | 100.0 |

### Republican primary
#### Candidates

* Cherie Berry, incumbent (unopposed in the primary)

### General election
#### Results

North Carolina Commissioner of Labor election, 2016 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Cherie Berry (incumbent) | 2,505,628 | 55.19% | +1.93% |
| | Democratic | Charles Meeker | 2,029,227 | 44.70% | −2.04% |
| | n/a | Write-ins | 5,067 | 0.11% | N/A |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 4,539,922 | 100.0% | N/A |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

## Commissioner of Insurance

Democrat Wayne Goodwin, the incumbent, ran for re-election to a third term in 2016.

### Democratic primary
#### Candidates

* Wayne Goodwin, incumbent (unopposed in the primary)

### Republican primary
#### Candidates

* Mike Causey, former lobbyist and failed GOP nominee for state Insurance Commissioner in 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2012, and losing candidate for Congress in 2014
* Joe McLaughlin, former Onslow County commissioner
* Ron Pierce, General Contractor, Ex-Airline Mechanic & Army Veteran

##### Withdrawn

* Heather Grant, Yadkinville nurse and Republican primary candidate for US Senate in 2014

#### Results

Republican primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Mike Causey | 340,936 | 41.2 |
| | Republican | Joe McLaughlin | 272,846 | 33.0 |
| | Republican | Ron Pierce | 214,126 | 25.8 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 827,908 | 100.0 |

### General election
#### Results

North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance election, 2016 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Mike Causey | 2,270,841 | 50.40% | +2.26% |
| | Democratic | Wayne Goodwin (incumbent) | 2,234,953 | 49.60% | −2.26% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 4,505,794 | 100.0% | N/A |
| | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic |
Causey became the first Republican ever elected to the office of North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance.