North Carolina Council of State election, 2004
Encyclopedia
Elections to choose members of the North Carolina Council of State (who head various executive branch departments) were held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004.
In all but two races (Superintendent of Public Instruction and Labor Commissioner), incumbent Democrats sought re-election.
The U.S. Presidential election, U.S. House election, U.S. Senate election, North Carolina gubernatorial election
, North Carolina General Assembly election
, and North Carolina judicial elections
were all held on the same day. Note that the Governor and Lt. Governor are also members of the Council of State, but their elections are covered in the article on the 2004 gubernatorial election
.
On a national level, Republican George W. Bush
captured the state's electoral votes while incumbent Democratic governor Mike Easley
easily won a second term.
Secretary of State
Incumbent Democratic Secretary of State Elaine Marshall
easily fended off both a primary challenge from Doris A. Sanders and from Republican challenger Jay Rao.
State Auditor
Les Merritt
, a former Wake County
commissioner, and 2000
candidate, narrowly bested 3-term incumbent State Auditor Ralph Campbell
.
Attorney General
|}
North Carolina's high-profile incumbent Attorney General, Roy Cooper
, easily carried his race against Republican challenger Joe Knott.
State Treasurer
Incumbent State Treasurer Richard H. Moore
bested Republican challenger Edward Meyer by an eight-point margin.
With the resignation of Mike Ward
, the Superintendent of Public Instruction race was the only 2004 Council of State contest in which there was no incumbent; consequently both major parties saw contested primaries. On the Republican side, former Wake County
board of education member Bill Fletcher
easily bested retired professor Jeanne Smoot
. The Democratic primary between state Department of Instruction official June Atkinson
, North Carolina Board of Education member J. B. Buxton and state agricultural education coordinator Marshall Stewart led to a second primary. Stewart polled narrowly ahead of Atkinson in the first primary, but failed to capture the 40% support needed to take the nomination. In a statewide runoff primary, Atkinson captured the Democratic nomination.
The race, along with the race for Agriculture Commissioner (see below) was caught up for nearly a month in a statewide recount because of the narrow margin. Fletcher argued that provisional ballots, required under the Help America Vote Act
of 2002 for federal races, were improperly counted in state races under North Carolina law. However, on 30 November 2004, the State Board of Elections certified Atkinson the winner. Fletcher appealed the recision to the North Carolina Supreme Court
. Atkinson, in turn, petitioned the North Carolina General Assembly
to resolve the disputed election. On August 24, 2005, the General Assembly met in a joint session to vote on the disputed election, as the state constitution
called for. Atkinson won this vote and was sworn-in that afternoon.
The election of the Superintendent of Public Instruction was the last American election from 2004 to be decided. http://www.kpho.com/Global/story.asp?S=3758936
State Agriculture Commissioner
Interim Agriculture Commissioner Britt Cobb
defeated former state representative
Tom Gilmore to take the Democratic nomination; Steve Troxler
, the 2000 candidate for this position, was unopposed for the Republican nomination.
Because of the loss of about 4,000 votes in Carteret County, North Carolina
, the race for State Agriculture Commissioner could not be resolved for several months. Although the North Carolina Board of Elections certified the close race for State Superintendent of Public Instruction on 30 November 2004, they reached an impasse on the Agriculture Commissioner Race, splitting 3-2 in favor of calling a new statewide election for the seat over calling a new election in Carteret County alone; 4 votes would have been required to take action on either option.
In early December, the North Carolina Board of Elections ordered a new election for January 11, 2005, in Carteret County alone, for voters whose ballots had been lost or who had not voted in the November 2 election. Both candidates appealed the decision, Cobb arguing that a statewide revote should be held, Troxler arguing that a revote should be limited to those voters whose votes were lost. A Wake County
superior court judge overturned this decision on December 17, calling it "arbitrary and capricious" and "contrary to law," requiring the State Board of Elections to revisit the issue.
On December 29, the State Board of Elections ordered a new statewide election for the post. On January 13, 2005, the superior court invalidated this order as well, and sent the contest back to the Elections Board for resolution. Following this ruling, Cobb conceded defeat. On February 4, the State Board of Elections officially certified Troxler as the winner of the 2004 election.
Commissioner of Labor
Incumbent Cherie Berry, the only sitting Republican on the Council of State, fended off both a primary challenge from Lloyd T. Funderburg and a heated general election challenge from state representative
Wayne Goodwin
.
State Insurance Commissioner
Five-term incumbent Jim Long
easily fended off a challenge from Republican C. Robert Brawley to win the greatest number of votes for any candidate in the 2004 Council of State elections.
In all but two races (Superintendent of Public Instruction and Labor Commissioner), incumbent Democrats sought re-election.
The U.S. Presidential election, U.S. House election, U.S. Senate election, North Carolina gubernatorial election
North Carolina gubernatorial election, 2004
The North Carolina gubernatorial election of 2004 was held on 2 November 2004. The general election was fought between the and the Democrat incumbent Mike Easley and the Republican nominee Patrick J. Ballantine. Easley won by 52% to 46%, winning his second term as...
, North Carolina General Assembly election
North Carolina General Assembly election, 2004
Elections to choose members of the North Carolina General Assembly, each of whom serves a two-year term, occurred on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. The U.S. Presidential election, 2004, U.S. House election, 2004, U.S...
, and North Carolina judicial elections
North Carolina judicial elections, 2004
Judges of the North Carolina Supreme Court and the North Carolina Court of Appeals are elected to eight-year terms in statewide judicial elections. In 2004, all these races were non-partisan. The U.S. Presidential election, 2004, U.S. House election, 2004, U.S...
were all held on the same day. Note that the Governor and Lt. Governor are also members of the Council of State, but their elections are covered in the article on the 2004 gubernatorial election
North Carolina gubernatorial election, 2004
The North Carolina gubernatorial election of 2004 was held on 2 November 2004. The general election was fought between the and the Democrat incumbent Mike Easley and the Republican nominee Patrick J. Ballantine. Easley won by 52% to 46%, winning his second term as...
.
On a national level, Republican George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
captured the state's electoral votes while incumbent Democratic governor Mike Easley
Mike Easley
Michael Francis "Mike" Easley is an American politician who served as the 72nd Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina, from 2001 to 2009. He is member of the North Carolina Democratic Party and became the first North Carolina governor to admit to a felony in a deal that halted a lengthy...
easily won a second term.
Secretary of StateNorth Carolina Secretary of StateThe North Carolina Secretary of State is an elected official in the U.S. state of North Carolina, heading the Department of the Secretary of State, which oversees many of the economic and business-related operations of the state government...
Incumbent Democratic Secretary of State Elaine MarshallElaine Marshall
Elaine F. Marshall is the current North Carolina Secretary of State; she is the first woman to be elected to that office and the first woman elected to statewide executive office in North Carolina. Marshall was the Democratic Party's nominee for the United States Senate seat currently held by...
easily fended off both a primary challenge from Doris A. Sanders and from Republican challenger Jay Rao.
State AuditorNorth Carolina State AuditorThe North Carolina State Auditor is a statewide elected office in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The State Auditor is responsible for overseeing and reviewing the financial accounts of all state government agencies...
Les MerrittLes Merritt
Leslie Merritt is a Republican politician from the U.S. state of North Carolina and a former North Carolina State Auditor, a position to which he was elected in 2004. Merritt was defeated by Democratic Beth Wood in the North Carolina Council of State elections, 2008 as part of a Democratic sweep....
, a former Wake County
Wake County, North Carolina
Wake County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 900,993 making it North Carolina's second most populated county...
commissioner, and 2000
North Carolina Council of State elections, 2000
The North Carolina Council of State election of 2000 was held on 7 November 2000, to elect the Council of State. On the same day, North Carolina held elections for Governor and for Lieutenant Governor, who also formally sit in the Council of State....
candidate, narrowly bested 3-term incumbent State Auditor Ralph Campbell
Ralph Campbell
Ralph A. Campbell, Jr. was for three terms the state auditor of North Carolina. A Democrat, Campbell was the first African-American to hold a state-wide elected executive office in North Carolina....
.
Attorney GeneralNorth Carolina attorney generalThe Attorney General of North Carolina is the head of the state's Department of Justice and provides legal representation and advice to all state agencies. He or she does not have the authority to prosecute specific crimes unless requested to do so by a local district attorney...
|}North Carolina's high-profile incumbent Attorney General, Roy Cooper
Roy A. Cooper
Roy Asberry Cooper, III is the current North Carolina Attorney General. He is a member of the North Carolina Democratic Party.-Personal life and education:...
, easily carried his race against Republican challenger Joe Knott.
State TreasurerNorth Carolina State TreasurerThe North Carolina State Treasurer is a statewide elected office in the U.S. state of North Carolina responsible for overseeing the financial operations of state government. The current state treasurer is Janet Cowell....
Incumbent State Treasurer Richard H. MooreRichard H. Moore
Richard Hancock Moore was the North Carolina State Treasurer from 2001–2009. He first elected to that post in 2000 and re-elected in 2004.-Career:...
bested Republican challenger Edward Meyer by an eight-point margin.
Results of November 2, 2004
General Assembly vote of August 24, 2005
Source: Charlotte ObserverWith the resignation of Mike Ward
Michael E. Ward
Michael E. Ward was Superintendent of Public Instruction for the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1996 to 2004.Born in Franklin County, North Carolina, Ward attended North Carolina State University. Upon graduation, he was employed as a public school teacher and later a principal before serving as...
, the Superintendent of Public Instruction race was the only 2004 Council of State contest in which there was no incumbent; consequently both major parties saw contested primaries. On the Republican side, former Wake County
Wake County, North Carolina
Wake County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 900,993 making it North Carolina's second most populated county...
board of education member Bill Fletcher
Bill Fletcher
Bill Fletcher is a Republican politician from the U.S. state of North Carolina. Fletcher was the Republican nominee for North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction in the North Carolina Council of State election, 2004....
easily bested retired professor Jeanne Smoot
Jeanne Smoot
Jeanne J. Smoot is a Republican politician from the U.S. state of North Carolina. Smoot was a candidate for the position of North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction in the North Carolina Council of State election, 2004.-External links:...
. The Democratic primary between state Department of Instruction official June Atkinson
June Atkinson
June St. Clair Atkinson was elected North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction on November 3, 2004, in a race that was decided by the North Carolina General Assembly on August 23, 2005. She was re-elected in 2008. Dr...
, North Carolina Board of Education member J. B. Buxton and state agricultural education coordinator Marshall Stewart led to a second primary. Stewart polled narrowly ahead of Atkinson in the first primary, but failed to capture the 40% support needed to take the nomination. In a statewide runoff primary, Atkinson captured the Democratic nomination.
The race, along with the race for Agriculture Commissioner (see below) was caught up for nearly a month in a statewide recount because of the narrow margin. Fletcher argued that provisional ballots, required under the Help America Vote Act
Help America Vote Act
The Help America Vote Act , or HAVA, is a United States federal law which passed in the House 357-48 and 92-2 in the Senate and was signed into law by President Bush on October 29, 2002. Drafted in reaction to the controversy surrounding the 2000 U.S...
of 2002 for federal races, were improperly counted in state races under North Carolina law. However, on 30 November 2004, the State Board of Elections certified Atkinson the winner. Fletcher appealed the recision to the North Carolina Supreme Court
North Carolina Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of North Carolina is the state's highest appellate court. Until the creation of the North Carolina Court of Appeals in the 1960s, it was the state's only appellate court. The Supreme Court consists of six associate justices and one chief justice, although the number of justices...
. Atkinson, in turn, petitioned the North Carolina General Assembly
North Carolina General Assembly
The North Carolina General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The General Assembly drafts and legislates the state laws of North Carolina, also known as the General Statutes...
to resolve the disputed election. On August 24, 2005, the General Assembly met in a joint session to vote on the disputed election, as the state constitution
North Carolina Constitution
The Constitution of the State of North Carolina governs the structure and function of the state government of North Carolina, United States; it is the highest legal document for the state and subjugates North Carolina law...
called for. Atkinson won this vote and was sworn-in that afternoon.
The election of the Superintendent of Public Instruction was the last American election from 2004 to be decided. http://www.kpho.com/Global/story.asp?S=3758936
State Agriculture CommissionerNorth Carolina Commissioner of AgricultureThe Commissioner of Agriculture is the head of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, as well as chairman of the state Board of Agriculture. As an executive officer elected statewide, the commissioner is also a member of the North Carolina Council of State.Leonidas L....
Interim Agriculture Commissioner Britt CobbBritt Cobb
W. Britt Cobb, Jr. is the chief of staff for North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue and the former Secretary of Administration ....
defeated former state representative
North Carolina House of Representatives
The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the House, who holds powers similar to those of the President pro-tem in the state senate....
Tom Gilmore to take the Democratic nomination; Steve Troxler
Steve Troxler
Steve Troxler is a tobacco farmer and the Republican Commissioner of Agriculture for the U.S. state of North Carolina, sworn in February 8, 2005 after an extended election dispute following the November 2004 statewide election....
, the 2000 candidate for this position, was unopposed for the Republican nomination.
Because of the loss of about 4,000 votes in Carteret County, North Carolina
Carteret County, North Carolina
Carteret County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2010, the population was 66,469. Its county seat is Beaufort. Most of the county is part of the Crystal Coast....
, the race for State Agriculture Commissioner could not be resolved for several months. Although the North Carolina Board of Elections certified the close race for State Superintendent of Public Instruction on 30 November 2004, they reached an impasse on the Agriculture Commissioner Race, splitting 3-2 in favor of calling a new statewide election for the seat over calling a new election in Carteret County alone; 4 votes would have been required to take action on either option.
In early December, the North Carolina Board of Elections ordered a new election for January 11, 2005, in Carteret County alone, for voters whose ballots had been lost or who had not voted in the November 2 election. Both candidates appealed the decision, Cobb arguing that a statewide revote should be held, Troxler arguing that a revote should be limited to those voters whose votes were lost. A Wake County
Wake County, North Carolina
Wake County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 900,993 making it North Carolina's second most populated county...
superior court judge overturned this decision on December 17, calling it "arbitrary and capricious" and "contrary to law," requiring the State Board of Elections to revisit the issue.
On December 29, the State Board of Elections ordered a new statewide election for the post. On January 13, 2005, the superior court invalidated this order as well, and sent the contest back to the Elections Board for resolution. Following this ruling, Cobb conceded defeat. On February 4, the State Board of Elections officially certified Troxler as the winner of the 2004 election.
Commissioner of LaborNorth Carolina Commissioner of LaborThe Commissioner of Labor of North Carolina is the head of the state's Department of Labor.The Constitution of North Carolina provides for the election by the people every four years of a Commissioner of Labor whose term of office runs concurrently with that of the governor...
Incumbent Cherie Berry, the only sitting Republican on the Council of State, fended off both a primary challenge from Lloyd T. Funderburg and a heated general election challenge from state representativeNorth Carolina House of Representatives
The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the House, who holds powers similar to those of the President pro-tem in the state senate....
Wayne Goodwin
Wayne Goodwin
George Wayne Goodwin was elected North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance in the 2008 election. Goodwin previously served as a Democratic member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state's sixty-eighth House district, including constituents in Richmond and Stanly counties...
.
State Insurance CommissionerNorth Carolina Commissioner of InsuranceThe North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance regulates the insurance industry in North Carolina, licenses insurance professionals in the state, educates consumers about different types of insurance, and handles consumer complaints...
Five-term incumbent Jim LongJames E. Long
James Eugene "Jim" Long was the North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance from 1985 through 2009 retiring as the senior Democratic member of the North Carolina Council of State...
easily fended off a challenge from Republican C. Robert Brawley to win the greatest number of votes for any candidate in the 2004 Council of State elections.