One of the challenges of being a swing state is that presidential campaigns tend to suck up a lot of attention in North Carolina – to the detriment of other important statewide races on the ballot that don’t get as much coverage. In an ongoing series, we’ll break down the statewide races here, on the WUNC Politics Podcast, and in the WUNC Politics Newsletter.
For the first time since 2016, North Carolina will have a new state treasurer. Incumbent Dale Folwell, who has held the office since winning in that pivotal election and again in 2020, decided not to seek reelection a third time and instead unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for governor, losing to Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson in the primary.
And so, the down-ballot race for a statewide office was wide-open. Coming out of a primary that featured five candidates in all, Republican Brad Briner and Democrat Wesley Harris rose above the rest and have advanced to the general election.
Here's a closer look at the office and the candidates…
What does the North Carolina State Treasurer do?
While you might assume incorrectly that the Office of State Treasurer is where tax revenue gets processed, it’s actually a key position that oversees pension fund investments for state retirees and manages the state employees’ healthcare plan.
Who is Brad Briner?
Briner, 47, is an investment manager who until recently led an investment firm for New York businessman Michael Bloomberg – a similar-sized portfolio to the state’s pension plan, he notes. He is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill and Harvard Business School. He lives in Chapel Hill and serves on the UNC Board of Trustees with a term that ends in 2027.
Who is Wesley Harris?
Harris, 37, represents Mecklenburg County in the state House, first winning the 105th District seat in 2018 and has since been twice reelected. He’s an economist who argues his Ph.D. credentials make him a good fit for the fiscally wonky job. Born in Taylorsville and a product of Statesville High School, he also graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill and then garnered that doctorate from Clemson University.
And what are they saying about the election?
Briner says his professional background is the right fit.
“I spent my career managing money for people,” Briner said. “The state treasurer manages money for the state, so I feel like I'm eminently qualified to do this.”
Harris describes the job more broadly as an advocate for state employees and making strong economic policy across state government.
“If you don't make the right investments at the right time, you could struggle for the next generation to catch up to that,” Harris said. “We've seen it with our pension fund, and we've seen it with our State Health Plan, that if you do not invest in your state employees, you're not going to get the best state employees.”
For more on Brad Briner, Wesley Harris and the North Carolina State Treasurer’s race in 2024, read and subscribe to the WUNC Politics Newsletter and listen to full conversations with them on the WUNC Politics Podcast.
