Gov. Stein grew up in Charlotte and Chapel Hill, going on to earn public policy and law degrees from Dartmouth College, Harvard Kennedy School of Government and Harvard Law School. He returned to North Carolina to practice law before serving in the state Senate, as well as eight years as NC attorney general. He credits his parents for raising him grounded in shared values of freedom and opportunity for all.

The state’s first Jewish governor, Gov. Stein and First Lady Anna Stein are members of Temple Beth Or. They are proud parents of Sam, Adam and Leah, as well as two dogs, Harper and Lila. Lila joined him for his interview with Carolina Country.
—Scott Gates, editor

Q:

What do you see as the biggest challenges ahead for your first term as governor?

A:

North Carolina is a special place to call home — and more people and businesses are drawn to our state each year. We have earned the rankings of the best state for business, for economic development and for workforce development. We created more jobs than any other state [in the last three months of 2025]. And last year, we achieved our best year ever for announcements of new jobs and capital investment — 35,000 good-paying jobs and $24 billion of investment.

That’s the promise of North Carolina, and if we want to deliver on that promise, we have to invest in our schools.

But we risk letting all of our progress slip through our fingertips. Last year, North Carolina was the only state in the country that did not pass a budget. It’s been two-and-a-half years since the state last passed a comprehensive budget. In that time, many things have changed. The state has added more than 325,000 people; the cost of living has increased by more than 6%; we suffered the most damaging storm in state history; and the federal government is abandoning long-held financial commitments. Throughout these changes, North Carolina has not passed a full budget [at time of publication].

North Carolina’s success has been built on our people. Past leaders have invested in strong public schools and universities, safe communities, a strong health care system, reliable infrastructure and a skilled workforce. These investments have been, and remain, worth making. This summer, I am calling on the General Assembly to pass a budget that puts people first, and I invite our legislative leaders back to the table to solve the problems North Carolinians are facing.

Q:

What do you think are the top contributors to North Carolina’s economic growth, and how can rural areas play a part in ensuring continued success?

A:

North Carolina’s success comes from our people — hardworking, talented, resilient people in every corner of the state. And the people in rural communities working in agriculture, manufacturing, tourism and small businesses are driving our state’s economy. In 2025, we brought $12.5 billion in investment and nearly 5,000 jobs to rural North Carolina. These developments are driving the greatest rural population growth we’ve seen here in more than a decade.

This spring, my team and I traveled the state on a Rural Listening Tour to hear directly from people about what their communities need to succeed. What I heard over and over is that people want to be connected — to opportunity, to healthcare, and to each other. That’s why we’re pushing hard on rural broadband, with 320 projects underway that will connect more than 250,000 homes and businesses. It’s why we’ve invested more than $1.4 billion in water and wastewater infrastructure since last January. It’s why we’re strengthening access to rural health care.

North Carolina is home to the second-largest rural population in the country — more rural residents than 20 states have people. No matter where you live in North Carolina, you belong in our state’s success story. We have more work to do to expand opportunity, but I’m grateful I got to hear directly from people across the state about how we can work together to create conditions for them to thrive.

Q:

North Carolina’s electric cooperatives are strong supporters of youth development. What are your priorities for improving education across the state, and how are you helping rural areas stay competitive?

A:

If you work hard, where you come from should never limit how far you can go. That’s the promise of North Carolina, and if we want to deliver on that promise, we have to invest in our schools. But we don’t. North Carolina is ranked 49th in the country on per pupil investment and 43rd in teacher pay. As a state, we pay starting teachers less than any of our neighboring states pay, causing a real challenge for our rural areas when it comes to recruiting and retaining teachers. That’s why my proposal raises starting teacher pay to the highest in the Southeast and restores master’s degree pay for veteran teachers.

We also need to create job opportunities in every corner of our state so you don’t have to go to college to have a meaningful career and support your family. That’s why we are investing in career and technical education and apprenticeship programs that bring public schools, community colleges and employers together around our shared goal of connecting more students to good jobs with good wages.

When someone can build a career and stay closer to the place where they grew up, that’s a win for everyone. We have to keep building on these programs that give students a purpose and a future without having to leave home to find it.

Q:

How do you see the state partnering with electric cooperatives to ensure energy remains both dependable and cost effective as demand and technology continue to evolve?

A:

North Carolinians are struggling with higher energy costs that make it harder to pay their light bills and put gas in their cars. With our state growing quickly, my office is taking action to ensure our residents can count on affordable power that’s built to last.

Our Energy Saver NC program [energysavernc.org] is saving people nearly $1,000 a year on their energy bills by making homes more efficient. I also launched an Energy Policy Task Force and tasked it with identifying solutions to protect households from costs resulting from data centers’ energy needs. The Task Force has already identified a few important policy changes here in North Carolina that could help protect residents from the costs of data centers.

The key is to keep the costs of data centers from being passed on to residential consumers. At the same time, if North Carolina is going to continue to create good-paying jobs in the clean energy economy, we’ve also got to build a diverse energy portfolio. Electric cooperatives help us do that.

Q:

Stepping into the role of governor, what have you found to be most unexpected?

A:

I wouldn’t say so much unexpected as it is affirming — it’s given me an opportunity to go everywhere in the state and meet many different types of folks. It’s just really wonderful to be inspired by so many North Carolinians.

[This spring we] rolled out our third Hurricane Helene recovery bill and I did it in Bakersville in Mitchell County, at a man’s home that had not been washed away but was ruined. He needs a completely new home, but his first priority had been working on relief efforts for the entire county. He’s only now getting around to rebuilding his own home. And that kind of selflessness is a story that played out dozens, hundreds, thousands of times, that just makes me feel really good about North Carolinians.