RALEIGH — North Carolina has a new governor. Josh Stein (D-N.C.) was sworn in as North Carolina’s 76th governor at 11am Wednesday in the Old Senate Chambers of the N.C. Capitol. Stein succeeds two-term Governor Roy Cooper (D-N.C.). Notably, Stein also succeeded Cooper in 2016 when he was elected as the state’s attorney general, following Cooper’s move to the governorship.
Stein was joined by his wife, Anna Stein, the new First Lady, as he took the oath of office administered by N.C. Chief Justice Paul M. Newby (R-N.C.). Stein swore to support the constitutions and laws of the United States and North Carolina and to faithfully perform the duties of the office of governor. As the first Jewish governor of the state, Stein chose to use the Tanakh, a canonical collection of Jewish scriptures, for the oath, which was held by his wife during the ceremony.
Outgoing Governor Roy Cooper welcomed attendees at the ceremony, and Secretary of State Elaine Marshall served as a witness for the Oath of Office.
“As I take this oath of office, I am profoundly aware of the solemn responsibility before me: to uphold the Constitution of the State of North Carolina and to serve our people,” Stein said in a press release. “The work ahead of us is significant, but the time is now to build a safer, stronger North Carolina, where our economy continues to grow and works for everyone, where our public schools are excellent and our teachers are well-paid, and where our neighborhoods are safe and our personal freedoms are protected. And of course, we must act with urgency to help the people of western North Carolina recover from Hurricane Helene. And we will.”
Public inauguration events are scheduled to take place on January 11 and 12 in Raleigh.
