Welcome to the governors race edition from our Under the Dome politics newsletter. I am Dawn VaughanThe Capitol bureau chief of The News & Observer.
With the Democratic attorney general Jos Stein‘s decisive Election Day victory over Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinsonthe Sunday editions of this newsletter will now focus on Stein, his transition and the end of the Democratic Administration. Roy Cooper‘s administration.
Stein has already named the top leadership of his transition team and is asking people to apply for other jobs on his transition website. He chose a Republican for one spot and Cooper’s former chief of staff for the other. Here’s more about them:
▪ Kristi Jones: Jones was Cooper’s old chief of staff who just left this summer for a private sector job with the natural gas and electric utility NiSource.
▪ Richard Stevens:Stevens is one Republican and former senatorfrom 2003 to 2012. He is an attorney at the law firm Smith Anderson. Stein was a state senator from 2009 to 2016, so the men served together in the Senate. Stevens was co-chair of the Powerful Senate Appropriations Committee that writes the state budget – which is the subject of major negotiations between the governor and the General Assembly every year. Stevens has been chairman of the UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Directors.
▪ Seth Dearmin: Dearmin has worked with Stein for over a decade and served as Chief of Staff of the NC Department of Justiceand wash Stein’s campaign manager during his run for attorney general in 2016. Before that, he worked at Nexus strategiesthe company co-founded by Morgan JacksonStein and Cooper’s chief advisor.
▪ Malcomb Coley: Coley is an executive at E.Ya global professional services company and partner at Bright pile of capitalthat invests in minority-owned businesses. He also serves on the Board of Trustees of both Queens University and UNC Wilmington.
▪ Esther Manheimer:Manheimer has been Mayor of Ashville since 2013 and a lawyer at the Van Winkle law firm. Stein’s announcement describes Manheimer as “actively leading and contributing to response and recovery efforts in partnership with local, state and federal leaders and agencies.” In Stein’s victory speech he said that Helene relief and rebuilding Western North Carolina would be a priority of his new administration.
▪ Christie McNeill: McNeill is executive director of the transition team and was a partner at McKinsey and companya management consultancy firm.
“We have an opportunity to make a real difference in North Carolina, and I look forward to working closely with them to hire hard-working, public-spirited people who will move our state forward,” Stein said in a statement .
Departure of Cooper staff
As Stein builds his new team, we can expect Cooper’s team to move to new jobs soon.
There has already been at least one departure from Cooper’s staff as his tenure comes to an end. Mary Scott Winsteadwho was part of his communications staff, has left for a job at Duke Energy as chief communications manager.
Cooper appoints a new labor commissioner
Republican Labor Commissioner Josh Dobsonwho did not run for re-election, resigned after the election. Republican Luke Farley is the elected commissioner, but will not take office until January. In Cooper’s role as governor, he is tasked with appointing someone to complete Dobson’s term.
Cooper was appointed on Friday Kevin O’Barrwho already works at the NC Department of Labor as Bureau Chief of Consultative Services. O’Barr has worked at the state agency for 24 years in various capacities.
More coverage of Stein’s victory
Our coverage of Stein’s victory on Tuesday night didn’t end there. I have another story that looks ahead to the 2025 legislative session and what’s different now that the era of Senate Majority Leader Cooper Phil Berger and Speaker of the House Tim Moore as the three most powerful politicians end in December. Like Cooper, Stein will be a Democrat in the Executive Mansion negotiating with a Republican-controlled Legislature. Read my story about how Berger, Stein and the likely next speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Destin Hall, will work together, and how not.
NC elects a Democratic governor and a Republican legislature. Again. What’s different this time.
Also read my short introduction to Stein.
North Carolina is getting a new governor. Here’s what you need to know about Democrat Josh Stein
Stay informed about #ncpol
Don’t forget to follow our Under the Dome tweets and listen to our Under the Dome podcast to stay informed. Our new episode posting Monday will be our second episode after Election Day in a week; I talk to colleagues Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi, Korie Dean And Kyle Ingram on the judicial, Council of State and legislative races.
You can sign up for the Under the Dome newsletter at newsobserver.com/newsletters. Would you like your friends to receive our email too? Send them this newsletter so they can sign up. You can also email me with any questions you have about the governor’s race at dvaughan@newsobserver.com.
