Republicans have a primary to face NC’s longtime secretary of state. What to know.
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Four candidates, including Democratic incumbent Elaine Marshall, are running for North Carolina secretary of state.
Responsible for overseeing businesses, the secretary registers trademarks, manages land records and oversees legislative lobbyists.
Unlike in other states, North Carolina’s secretary of state does not serve as the chief election official. Instead, election administration is carried out by the State Board of Elections and an executive director that the board hires.
Lawmakers passed a bill last year that housed the Board of Elections within the Department of the Secretary of State, but the board remains independent from the secretary’s authority.
Marshall has held the role since 1997, when she became the first woman elected to a statewide executive office in North Carolina. She is now running for her eighth term in office and faces no Democratic primary opponents.
Candidate questionnaires
The News & Observer and The Charlotte Observer asked candidates running in contested races in the primary election to fill out a candidate questionnaire. Three Republican candidates are seeking the party’s nomination, and all three of them participated in the questionnaire.
Find responses from the candidates below or by visiting newsobserver.com/voter-guide.
Questionnaires will be sent after the primary to the two secretary of state candidates who advance to the general election.
