NC Gov 2028 — already ?????

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Yes, my friends.  The scramble for the governor’s mansion is already on.  Even though we still have a 2026 US Senate race to get through.

As far as anyone can tell, Democrat incumbent Josh Stein plans to hang around Raleigh through 2032. But things can change.  Ted Budd comes up for reelection in 2028.  Stein and attorney general Jeff Jackson are arguably the biggest Democrat guns to assign to that fight.

Robert Burns, mayor of the Union County town of Monroe, is being widely touted as a candidate for the NCGOP’s 2028 gubernatorial nomination. Burns is a passionate conservative who is making his rounds through social media and hitting the roads from Murphy to Manteo.

Dave Boliek, the state auditor, is also being heavily touted. His audits and investigations have won him a lot of favor from the GOP’s base.  Though, one has to wonder — given all the stripping of power from the governor the legislature has done recently, why would Boliek want the job?   He’s got plenty of influence and power sitting right where he is.

A third one we’re hearing a lot about:  House majority leader Brenden Jones. He’s won kudos from social conservatives for his hearings on DEI and the transgender locker room / bathroom drama.  Sources we’ve heard from in Jones’s home county of Columbus say Jones is telling some  local supporters he is “thinking about” a run for governor.  This would certainly make the stories about Charlotte fundraisers and Dan Marino appearances make more sense.

The 2028 governor’s race: It’s not as far away as you think.

Hopefully,  NCGOP HQ will learn from 2024 and 2026 and allow for a healthy, debate-filled primary.