WINSTON SALEM, N.C. — As North Carolinians cast their ballot for the primary election, voters are researching each candidate’s background. One of the big races in the Tar Heel State is the job of governor, as current Gov. Roy Cooper has reached his term limit.

What You Need To Know

  • Three candidates are in the running for the GOP nomination for governor including Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, State Treasurer Dale Folwell and attorney and businessman Bill Graham

  • According to the state board of elections, North Carolina has voted for four Republicans and 11 Democrats for governor over the past half century

  • Early voting ends on March 2, with election day landing on Super Tuesday, March 5

The governor’s mansion has been blue since 2017, and three Republican candidates are vying for the opportunity to turn it red.

Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, State Treasurer Dale Folwell and attorney and businessman Bill Graham are campaigning to get their name on the ballot for the general election in November.

Winston Salem-native Folwell got involved in politics in 1993, but not before wearing many different hats as a CPA, motorcycle repairman, garbage collector and much more.

“I was born poor in resources, but rich in opportunity. It’s important to realize where I started. Because what I try to do in my public service career is advocate for the invisible,” Folwell said.

“I'm not the most hateful person in this race or the richest or the tallest, but I'm the one who understands that God gives everybody certain talents,” Folwell said. “My talents were not getting good grades in school or even my IQ. My talents were understanding that God gave me the vision to see what needs to be seen.”

From 1993 to 2000, Folwell served on the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education. From there, he served four terms on the House of Representatives, the last two of which, he was Speaker pro tempore from 2011-2012.

In March 2013, Secretary of Commerce Sharon Decker named Folwell as Assistant Secretary of Employment Security at the North Carolina Department of Commerce. 

In the November 2016 election, Folwell became the first Republican voted to the office of State Treasurer since David Jenkins served during the Reconstruction era from 1868 to 1876.

Folwell says he’s not only prepared for the job of governor but has the experience to do the job well.

“The root word of governor's to govern. And there's still a lot that needs to be fixed at our state government. And the governor of North Carolina is the CEO of the largest business in the state. And I'm uniquely qualified to do that job,” Folwell said.

Folwell tells us his top three issues he’s planning to focus on as governor include transparency and accountability in state government, balancing the state budget and education.

“We manage an amount of money at the Treasurer’s Office eight times the size of the state budget. So, I’ll be the first governor in North Carolina history that looks at zero-based budgeting,” Folwell said. “So, except for the pension, the health care and the interest on the debt, we’ll take every line item of the budget and make sure that’s money that still needs to be spent.”

He also believes in defending parent’s roles in their kids’ education.

“What matters to me is that any tax dollars going toward any form of education, that those tax dollars are transparent, and that people are held to the same standards in terms of accountability.”

Beyond his background and qualifications, Folwell is a proud husband, father and avid motorcycle racer of 47 years.