RALEIGH — Democratic incumbent Josh Stein has secured a second term as Attorney General by narrowly defeating Forsyth County district attorney Jim O’Neill. Stein succeeded Gov. Roy Cooper in the state’s top legal job after Cooper served four terms in the attorney general’s office.
Four years ago, Stein won the office by 24,000 votes over Republican Buck Newton. The margin with O’Neill is currently 13,809 votes with a few counties yet to report small numbers of provisional ballots. O’Neill could pursue a recount once those final votes are added.
North Carolina Democratic Party chairman Wayne Goodwin said, “Josh has been a leading advocate for working families on issues ranging from consumer protections to affordable healthcare, we are proud to see him continue his work for another four years.”
Stein was born in Washington, D.C. and attended Dartmouth College where he earned a B.A. in history and Harvard for law school. After law school, Stein was the chief of staff for Sen. John Edwards (D) before joining the attorney general’s office under Cooper. From 2008 to 2016, Stein was a Democratic member of the N.C. Senate.
