RALEIGH — Incumbent North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, a Democrat, has retained her seat by defeating Republican challenger Chad Brown.
Marshall edged Brown by a margin of around 2%.
With her reelection, the 78-year-old Marshall will enter her eighth term in the role. She was first elected in 1997. In every reelection bid Marshall has made, she has won with over 50% of the vote.
Prior to becoming secretary of state, Marshall was a General Assembly senator. She is an attorney and has taught at both Lenoir Community College and Johnston Tech Community College.
In 2010, Marshall made an unsuccessful bid for U.S. Senate, losing to former Republican Sen. Richard Burr.
Marshall holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland (1968) and a juris doctorate from Campbell Law School (1971). She was awarded honorary doctorate degrees from Campbell University, Lees-McRae College and Meredith College.
The 52-year-old Brown is the former mayor of Stanley and chairman of the Board of Gaston County Commissioners (2010). He has also served on the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Board.
A new aspect of the role of the secretary of state will deal with elections. In 2023, the General Assembly overrode Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of Senate Bill 749, which made certain election law changes. One of the provisions of the law administratively transfers the N.C. State Board of Elections from an independent agency under the executive branch to the Secretary of State’s Office. Despite the board being moved, the secretary of state will not directly be involved in elections but instead play a management role encompassing areas such as planning, organizing, staffing, directing, coordinating, reporting and budgeting.
The majority of states roll elections management up under their secretary of state offices. Up until Senate Bill 749, North Carolina was one of only nine states that did not follow that pattern. Two states, Alaska and Utah, oversee election functions.
