With just over a month until lawmakers convene the short session on April 24, interim oversight committees are beginning to ramp back up and legislators are spending a bit more time back in Raleigh. A number of joint legislative committees are scheduled to meet over the next two weeks to review priorities for the short session and wrap up any remaining interim committee work.
Second Primaries
While most of North Carolina’s primary election contests were decided on Election Day, March 5, the outcome of a handful of races won’t be decided until May. Second primary elections will take place on Tuesday, May 14. State law requires a candidate for a single office to receive more than 30% of the vote in a primary to secure their party’s nomination and advance to the November general election. If no candidate in a primary contest for a single office surpasses the 30% threshold, the candidate who receives the second-highest vote total can call for a second primary. The top two vote-getters would then be listed on the ballot for the second primary contest.
Second primary contests will be held to decide the Republican nominees for Lieutenant Governor, State Auditor, and North Carolina’s 13th Congressional District. While a fourth runoff race could have been necessary to determine the Republican nominee for the state’s 6th Congressional District, Former Congressman Mark Walker announced last week that he would be ending his campaign without requesting a runoff. With no Democratic candidate vying for the 6th District, Walker’s announcement means that Addison McDowell, a first-time, Trump-endorsed candidate, is expected to head to Congress in 2025.
In the Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor, Hal Weatherman, who previously served as Chief of Staff to former North Carolina Lieutenant Governor Dan Forest and former US Representative Sue Myrick, emerged as the top vote-getter with 19.59% of the vote. Second place finisher Jim O’Neill, who is currently serving his fourth term as Forsyth County District Attorney, garnered 15.84% of the vote, and called for a runoff in the race.
In the Republican primary for State Auditor, Jack Clark, who currently works on budget policy in the General Assembly and is a certified public accountant, was the top vote-getter on March 5 with 23.24% of the vote. Dave Boliek, an attorney who has worked primarily as a litigator and previously as an Assistant District Attorney in Cumberland County, has requested for a runoff in the contest after coming in a close second, receiving 22.10% of the vote.
North Carolina’s 13th Congressional District will hold a second primary contest to determine the Republican nominee. Kelly Daughtry, an attorney and daughter of a former legislator, received 27.39% of the vote in the March 5 primary. Brad Knott, a former federal prosecutor, and second-place finisher with 18.67% of the vote, has called for a runoff in the race.
In-person early voting for second primary elections begins Thursday, April 25, and ends Saturday, May 11, at 3:00pm. For more information, visit the North Carolina State Board of Elections website or click here.
Upcoming Legislative Meetings
Monday, March 25
1:00 PM House: Select Committee on Education Reform
Tuesday, March 26
10:00 AM: Joint Legislative Commission on Energy Policy
10:00 AM: Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee
1:00 PM: Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on General Government
Thursday, March 28
9:30 AM: Joint Legislative Transportation Oversight Committee
1:00 PM: Joint Legislative Economic Development and Global Engagement Oversight Committee
